Has a tendency to (Negative trait)
~きらいがある to formally describe a negative trait, habit, or tendency inherent in a person or group.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use ~がち (gachi) after a verb stem or noun to describe a negative tendency or frequent occurrence.
- Attach to the stem of a verb: 休みがち (yasumi-gachi) - tends to be absent.
- Attach directly to nouns: 病気がち (byouki-gachi) - tends to be sick.
- Only use for negative or undesirable traits, never for positive ones.
Overview
~きらいがある (嫌いがある) is a sophisticated, C1-level Japanese grammar pattern used to identify a persistent, undesirable tendency or an inherent flaw in a person, object, or system. Its core function is to make a detached, analytical observation about a negative characteristic. The pattern carries a formal, somewhat critical tone, making it ideal for objective analysis rather than emotional complaint.
It implies that the tendency is not a one-off event but a deep-seated, regrettable trait.
The word きらい in this context does not mean "dislike" or "hatred" as it commonly does. Instead, it draws on an older, classical meaning of the word that signifies a "fault," "defect," or "shortcoming." Therefore, ~きらいがある translates more accurately to "there is a fault of..." or "it possesses the shortcoming of..." This distinction is crucial: you are not expressing personal dislike but pointing out an objective, often systemic, flaw. For example, 彼は物事を複雑に考えるきらいがある (He has a tendency to overcomplicate things) frames this habit as an innate, unhelpful characteristic.
Mastering this pattern allows you to articulate nuanced criticism with intellectual precision. The standard pitch accent is きらいが あꜜる.
How This Grammar Works
~きらいがある is to attribute a negative quality as an intrinsic part of the subject's nature. It works by having the word きらい, acting as a formal noun, follow a verb or a noun phrase. This structure effectively nominalizes the preceding action or state, turning it into a 'flaw' that the subject 'has' (がある).~きらいがある:- Observation:
あの政治家は事実を無視する。(That politician ignores facts.) This is a direct statement about an action. - Evaluation:
あの政治家は事実を無視するきらいがある。(That politician has a tendency to ignore facts.) This reframes the action as a characteristic flaw—a recurring, problematic part of their political style. The speaker is taking a step back to analyze the politician's behavior pattern.
この戦略は{コスト}を度外視するきらいがある (This strategy has a tendency to disregard costs). This isn't just saying "the strategy is expensive"; it's a formal critique pointing out a fundamental flaw in its conception.Formation Pattern
~きらいがある is consistent and attaches to verbs, nouns, and occasionally adjectives when an excess is being emphasized. The key is to connect it in a way that the preceding word or phrase describes the nature of the flaw.
~きらいがあります
~きらいがある
きらいがある | `彼は結論を急ぐきらいがある。 | He has a tendency to rush to conclusions. |
きらいがある | `彼女は自分の非を認めないきらいがある。 | She has a tendency not to admit her own mistakes. |
の + きらいがある | `彼の文章には悪文のきらいがある。 | His writing has a tendency to be poor/convoluted. |
すぎる + きらいがある | この計画は楽観的すぎるきらいがある。 | This plan has a tendency to be overly optimistic. |
な / である + きらいがある | その議論は観念的なきらいがある。 | That argument has a tendency to be too abstract. |
最近の記事は読者に媚びるきらいがある。 (Recent articles have a tendency to pander to readers.)
の is mandatory to connect the noun to きらいがある. The noun itself represents the undesirable trait.
彼には形式主義のきらいがある。 (He has a tendency toward formalism.)
~すぎる (too much) is a common way to frame a quality as a flaw. Simply saying 悲観的なきらいがある is less common than rephrasing with a verb: 悲観的に考えるきらいがある.
な is standard. The form であるきらいがある is more formal and literary. 彼の理論は単純なきらいがある is less common than 彼の理論は単純すぎるきらいがある (His theory has a tendency to be too simple).
When To Use It
~きらいがある is reserved for contexts that demand analytical depth and formality. It is a powerful tool for delivering criticism indirectly and objectively.- 1Formal Analysis and Critique (Academic/Business): This is its primary domain. Use it in reports, essays, or formal presentations to identify systemic flaws without sounding accusatory. It elevates the observation from a simple complaint to a structured critique.
- Business Report:
わが社の製品開発は、市場調査を軽視するきらいがある。(Our company's product development has a tendency to neglect market research.) - Academic Paper:
江戸時代の文学は、勧善懲悪に陥るきらいがあった。(Edo-period literature had a tendency to fall into simple moralism.)
- 1Objective Observation of Character Flaws: When discussing a person's ingrained negative habits, especially in a professional or evaluative setting like a performance review, this pattern is ideal. It frames the issue as a characteristic to be managed, rather than a personal attack.
Aさんは優秀ですが、細部にこだわりすぎて全体を見失うきらいがあります。(A-san is excellent, but has a tendency to get too caught up in details and lose sight of the bigger picture.)
- 1Sophisticated Self-Critique: Using
~きらいがあるfor your own flaws demonstrates high self-awareness and humility. It shows that you can analyze your own shortcomings objectively. This is effective in interviews, self-evaluations, or personal journaling.
私は一度決めたことに固執しすぎるきらいがあり、柔軟性に欠けることがあります。(I have a tendency to be too attached to things I've decided, and can sometimes lack flexibility.)
- 1Literary or Social Commentary: When analyzing trends, characters in a story, or societal behaviors,
~きらいがあるprovides the right analytical tone to describe a prevalent, undesirable pattern.
現代の都市生活は人間関係が希薄になるきらいがある。(Modern urban life has a tendency for human relationships to become tenuous.)
Common Mistakes
~きらいがある requires respecting its narrow semantic and contextual boundaries. The most common errors arise from misjudging its strong negative connotation and formal register.- 1Using for Positive or Neutral Tendencies: This is the most critical error.
~きらいがあるis exclusively for undesirable traits. Applying it to something positive creates a contradictory and nonsensical sentence.
- Incorrect:
彼女はいつも時間通りに来るきらいがある。(❌ She has a tendency to always be on time.) This sounds like being punctual is a flaw. - Correct:
彼女はいつも時間通りに来る。(✔️ She always comes on time.) - Correct (Neutral Tendency):
彼女は努力を惜しまない傾向がある。(✔️ She has a tendency not to spare any effort.)
- 1Applying to a Single Event: This pattern describes a chronic, inherent trait, not an isolated incident. It’s about a pattern, not a single data point.
- Incorrect:
昨日、彼は言い訳をするきらいがあった。(❌ Yesterday, he had a tendency to make excuses.) A one-time action is not aきらい. - Correct:
昨日、彼は言い訳をした。(✔️ Yesterday, he made an excuse.) - Correct (Describing the trait):
彼はすぐに言い訳をするきらいがある。(✔️ He has a tendency to make excuses right away.)
- 1Overuse in Casual Conversation:
~きらいがあるis formal and analytical. Using it with close friends in a casual setting can sound stiff, pedantic, or even sarcastic. Natural, casual alternatives are more appropriate.
- Unnatural: (To a friend)
君、ちょっと話を盛るきらいがあるよね。(You have a tendency to exaggerate a bit.) - Natural/Casual:
君、ちょっと話盛りがちだよね。(You tend to exaggerate a bit.) orまた話盛ってるでしょ！(You're exaggerating again!)
- 1Confusing with Subjective
嫌い(Dislike): Learners sometimes mistakenly think the sentence means the subject dislikes performing the action. It's the opposite: the subject performs the action, and that action is considered a flaw.
- Misinterpretation: Thinking
彼は約束を破るきらいがあるmeans "He dislikes breaking promises." - Correct Meaning: "He has the undesirable tendency of breaking promises."
- 1Forgetting
のwith Nouns: The particleのis the required grammatical bridge between a noun andきらいがある.
- Incorrect:
彼の意見は自己満足きらいがある。(❌) - Correct:
彼の意見は自己満足のきらいがある。(✔️ His opinion has a tendency toward self-satisfaction.)
Real Conversations
~きらいがある appears in contexts where considered judgment is required. It's rare in fast-paced, casual chat but common in emails, reports, and thoughtful discussions.
1. Professional Feedback (Email/Slack):
- Bさん、先日のプレゼン資料、拝見しました。データは素晴らしいのですが、専門用語を多用し、やや説明が不親切になるきらいがあるかと感じました。聞き手の知識レベルを考慮して修正をお願いします。
(B-san, I've reviewed the presentation materials from the other day. The data is excellent, but I felt it had a tendency to become somewhat user-unfriendly due to the overuse of technical jargon. Please revise it with the audience's knowledge level in mind.)
Context: A manager gives constructive criticism. ~きらいがある softens the feedback by framing it as an impersonal, objective tendency of the material itself, not a direct failure of the employee.*
2. Social Commentary (Online Forum/Blog):
- A: なんで日本の会社って変われないんだろう。 (Why can't Japanese companies change?)
- B: うーん、伝統や前例を重んじるあまり、新しい挑戦を避けるきらいがあるからじゃないかな。失敗を極度に恐れる文化というか。
(Hmm, I think it's because they have a tendency to avoid new challenges out of an over-reliance on tradition and precedent. You could call it a culture that is extremely afraid of failure.)
Context: Speaker B uses ~きらいがある to offer a high-level analysis of a broad cultural or systemic issue.*
3. Personal Reflection (Journal or Formal Self-Introduction):
- 私の短所は、物事を悲観的に考えすぎるきらいがある点です。しかし、その分、最悪の事態を想定したリスク管理が得意だと自負しております。
(My weakness is that I have a tendency to think about things too pessimistically. However, I am proud that, because of this, I am good at risk management that anticipates the worst-case scenario.)
Context: The speaker uses ~きらいがある to honestly acknowledge a flaw but then skillfully reframes it as a strength, which is a common technique in Japanese job interviews.*
Quick FAQ
~きらいがある with similar grammar patterns.- 1Should I write it in Kanji as
嫌いがある?
- No. In this grammatical pattern, it is almost always written in hiragana (
きらいがある). Writing it in kanji (嫌いがある) strongly invokes the meaning of "dislike" and would cause confusion. The hiragana spelling signals that it is being used as a grammatical component, not as the standard noun for hatred.
- 1Is it really always negative? What about for 'too much' of a good thing?
- Yes, it's always used to point out a flaw. When used with a trait that is normally positive (e.g.,
真面目- serious, diligent), the construction frames an excess of that trait as the flaw.真面目すぎるきらいがある(has a tendency to be too serious) implies a lack of flexibility or an inability to relax, which is a negative characteristic in many contexts.
- 1Can I use it with the past tense, like
~きらいがあった?
- Yes, you can. The past tense
~きらいがあったis used to describe a negative tendency that existed in the past but may no longer be true. For example:若かった頃の彼は、他人の忠告を聞かないきらいがあった。(In his youth, he had a tendency not to listen to others' advice.)
- 1How does it compare to other 'tendency' expressions?
- This is a critical point for C1 learners. The choice depends on formality, connotation, and the specific nuance you want to express. See this table for a clear breakdown:
~きらいがある | Inherent Flaw: Focuses on an ingrained, undesirable character trait or systemic defect. | High (Formal, Written) | Negative | 彼は責任転嫁するきらいがある。 (He tends to shift blame.) |~がち | Frequency: Focuses on an action that happens frequently, often unintentionally. A habit. | Medium (Spoken/Written) | Mostly Negative | 冬は運動不足になりがちだ。 (People tend to lack exercise in winter.) |~傾向がある | Neutral Trend: Objectively states a tendency or trend, often based on data. | High (Formal, Analytical) | Neutral | 都市部では人口が増加する傾向がある。 (Population tends to increase in urban areas.) |~っぽい | Impression: Expresses an "-ish" or "-like" quality. Subjective and based on appearance or feel. | Low (Casual, Spoken) | Varies | 子供っぽい言い訳だ。 (That's a childish excuse.) |~かねない | Future Risk: Warns of a potential negative outcome that could happen. | Medium (Spoken/Written) | Negative | あんな運転では事故を起こしかねない。 (With driving like that, he could cause an accident.) |Formation of ~がち
| Base Type | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
Verb (Masu-stem)
|
休む -> 休み
|
休みがち
|
|
Noun
|
病気
|
病気がち
|
|
Verb (Masu-stem)
|
忘れる -> 忘れ
|
忘れがち
|
|
Verb (Masu-stem)
|
遅れる -> 遅れ
|
遅れがち
|
|
Noun
|
留守
|
留守がち
|
|
Verb (Masu-stem)
|
太る -> 太り
|
太りがち
|
Meanings
Indicates a tendency toward a state or action that is generally considered negative or undesirable.
Negative Habit
Describes a recurring negative behavior or state.
“彼は{忘れ|wasure}がちだ。”
“冬は{風邪|kaze}を{引き|hiki}がちだ。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem/Noun + がち
|
休みがち
|
|
Adjective usage
|
Stem/Noun + がちな + Noun
|
休みがちな人
|
|
Past/State
|
Stem/Noun + がちだった
|
休みがちだった
|
|
Negative
|
Stem/Noun + がちではない
|
休みがちではない
|
Formality Spectrum
彼は休みがちでございます。 (Workplace)
彼は休みがちです。 (Workplace)
彼は休みがちだ。 (Workplace)
あいつ、すぐ休むわ。 (Workplace)
Usage Map
Negative
- 病気 Sickness
- 忘れ Forgetting
Examples by Level
彼は休みがちです。
He tends to be absent.
冬は風邪をひきがちです。
I tend to catch colds in winter.
忘れがちです。
I tend to forget.
遅れがちです。
I tend to be late.
最近、ミスをしがちです。
I've been tending to make mistakes lately.
彼は病気がちだ。
He tends to be sick.
雨が降りがちだ。
It tends to rain.
考えがちだ。
I tend to overthink.
忙しいと、食事を抜きがちになる。
When busy, I tend to skip meals.
この機械は故障しがちだ。
This machine tends to break down.
一人でいると、暗いことを考えがちだ。
When alone, I tend to think dark thoughts.
最近、運動不足で太りがちだ。
Lately, I tend to gain weight due to lack of exercise.
会議では、意見が対立しがちだ。
In meetings, opinions tend to clash.
彼は感情的になりがちだ。
He tends to become emotional.
この地域は夏に乾燥しがちだ。
This region tends to be dry in summer.
若者はSNSに依存しがちだ。
Young people tend to be dependent on SNS.
完璧主義者は、自分を責めがちである。
Perfectionists tend to blame themselves.
この政策は、格差を拡大しがちだ。
This policy tends to widen the gap.
多忙な日々の中では、健康を疎かにしがちだ。
In busy days, one tends to neglect health.
議論が抽象的になりがちだ。
The discussion tends to become abstract.
歴史は繰り返されがちである。
History tends to repeat itself.
権力は腐敗しがちである。
Power tends to corrupt.
人間は現状維持を好み、変化を避けがちだ。
Humans tend to prefer the status quo and avoid change.
この種の論理は、誤解を招きがちだ。
This type of logic tends to invite misunderstanding.
Easily Confused
Both mean tendency.
Common Mistakes
親切がち
親切な人
食べがち
食べやすい
雨が降りがちだ
雨が降りやすい
成功しがちだ
成功しやすい
Sentence Patterns
最近、___がちです。
Real World Usage
彼は遅刻しがちです。
風邪をひきがちです。
エラーが出がちです。
忘れがちです。
議論が抽象的になりがちだ。
この道は混みがちです。
Check the polarity
Not for positive
Use with nouns
Humility
Smart Tips
Use ~がち for negative habits.
Use for recurring illness.
Use for recurring mistakes.
Use for negative weather.
Pronunciation
Pitch accent
Usually flat or falling.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Gachi' as 'Got-chi' (got a bad habit).
Visual Association
Imagine a person constantly dropping things (forgetting) with a 'Gachi' sound effect.
Rhyme
When things go wrong and you do it a lot, add 'gachi' to the spot.
Story
Ken is always sick. He is 'byouki-gachi'. He forgets his keys. He is 'wasure-gachi'. He is a 'gachi' guy.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about your own bad habits using ~がち.
Cultural Notes
Used to express modesty or objective observation of negative habits.
Derived from the noun 'gachi' (a state of being).
Conversation Starters
最近、何か悪い癖はありますか？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
彼は最近、休み___です。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
私は親切がちです。
彼は / 忘れ / がち / です
He tends to be sick.
Answer starts with: 彼は病...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
彼はよく休む。(Use がち)
Can you use がち for positive things?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises彼は最近、休み___です。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
私は親切がちです。
彼は / 忘れ / がち / です
He tends to be sick.
Match the meaning.
彼はよく休む。(Use がち)
Can you use がち for positive things?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercises現代人は運動不足の___がある。
彼は人の話を___きらいがある。
傾向 / 軽視する / あの会社 / は / きらい / 安全 / を / がある
Select the best ending for: "政府の対策はいつも..."
「私は毎日ジムに行くきらいがある。」
彼は自信過剰で、他人の意見を___きらいがある。
Translate: "He tends to overeat."
When a boss says: 君は仕事が雑になるきらいがある。
ある / 独断 / きらい / 社長 / の / が / は
あの評論家は、少し理屈に___きらいがある。
Where would you most likely see `きらいがある`?
この犬はかわいすぎるきらいがある。
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No, only negative.
It is neutral.
Verb stem + がち.
It acts like a na-adjective.
Yes, e.g., 病気がち.
やすい is physical ease.
Yes, very common.
Yes, very common.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
tender a
Japanese is strictly negative.
avoir tendance à
Japanese is strictly negative.
neigen zu
Japanese is strictly negative.
倾向于
Japanese is strictly negative.
يميل إلى
Japanese is strictly negative.
~がち
None.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
The Extreme Emphasis Pattern: ~極まる / ~極まりない (Kiwamaru / Kiwamarinai)
Overview At the advanced stages of Japanese, expressing simple intensity with words like `とても` (totemo) or `非常に`...
Expressing Desire: "I want to..." (～tai)
Overview Japanese offers nuanced ways to express personal desire. The suffix `~tai` (～たい) is fundamental for articula...
Uncontrollable Feelings: ~てならない (~te naranai)
Overview Japanese grammar provides a rich toolkit for expressing internal states, and `~てならない` (`~te naranai`) is...
Before Doing X (Mae ni)
Overview In Japanese, establishing a clear sequence of events is fundamental to communication. The grammatical pattern...
Literary Similes: Like & As If (~gotoku / ~gotoki)
Overview Japanese offers several ways to express similes, but few carry the profound literary weight and stylistic versa...
