〜きらいがある (~kirai ga aru) — have a (bad) tendency to ~
A formal, softened way to criticise someone's bad tendency or habit.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- In a newspaper editorial or a company evaluation you meet sentences like 「最近の若者は、すぐに答えを求めるきらいがある」.
- It is a stiff, written word: used to criticise, from outside, the nature of a person or the leaning of society, a company or the media.
Meaning
- 「〜きらいがある」is a soft way to criticise: 'they have this bad tendency'.
- The kanji is 嫌い (dislike), but the meaning here is not 'dislike' — it is 'a bad habit or leaning'.
- It is usually softened with words like 「どうも・少し・ともすれば」.
How to attach
- Directly to V辞書形 or Vない: 考えすぎるきらいがある・聞かないきらいがある
- With a noun, put 「の」in between: 説明不足のきらいがある
- You will often hear 「〜すぎるきらいがある」(a tendency to overdo ~).
Versus what you know
N3「〜がちだ」(忘れがちだ) shows frequency — 'it tends to happen often' — and you can easily say it about yourself (私は朝ご飯を抜きがちだ).
Watch out
- It is never used for a good habit (× 親切にするきらいがある).
- Usually not about yourself either — for your own small habits, 「がち」is right.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
うちの課長は、部下の話を最後まで聞かないきらいがある。
うちのかちょうは、ぶかのはなしをさいごまできかないきらいがある。
Our section chief has a tendency not to hear staff out.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 聞く = to listen → ない-form: 聞かない (not listening) → attach 「きらいがある」 directly → a soft criticism of someone else's (課長's) bad habit.
最近のニュースは、ともすれば事件を大げさに伝えすぎるきらいがある。
さいきんのニュースは、ともすればじけんをおおげさにつたえすぎるきらいがある。
News these days is apt to report incidents in an overly dramatic way.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 伝える = to report → add 「すぎる」: 伝えすぎる (to report too much) → 「きらいがある」 → 「ともすれば」 in front (tending to lean that way at times) softens the criticism.
彼の報告書は、どうも説明不足のきらいがある。
かれのほうこくしょは、どうもせつめいふそくのきらいがある。
His reports somehow tend to be short on explanation.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 説明不足 = lack of explanation (a noun) → put 「の」 → 「きらいがある」 → 「どうも」 softens it: 'for some reason, it seems that way'.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「山田さんの報告は、いつも準備不足＿きらいがある。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: What goes after a noun?
N + の + きらいがある. 準備不足のきらいがある = tends to be under-prepared.
In which sentence is 「きらいがある」unnatural?
💡 Hint: A good habit or a bad one?
きらいがある is only for bad tendencies. Helping people is a good habit — say 「よく〜する」instead.
Talking casually with a friend about your own small habit — which sentence is natural?
💡 Hint: About yourself, in speech — which N3 form?
がち = it often ends up that way, fine about yourself. きらいがある is a formal word for criticising others, rarely said about yourself.
Your score: /3