396 - きらいがある

The more I write these lessons, the more I start to think that the hardest Japanese grammar is either N4 or N3 grammar.

Today we have yet another N1 grammar point that is relatively straightforward:

JLPT N1: きらいがある (have a tendency to)

We attach きらいがある to phrases to say that something "has a tendency to" or "is prone/inclined to" do something which is not good.

For example:

彼は自分の利益になること以外は、何もしないきらいがある
かれ は じぶん の りえき に なる こと いがい は、 なにも しない きらいがある。
He has a tendency to not do anything unless it's profitable to him.
Literally: "he + は + oneself + の + profit + に + become + こと + other than + は, + nothing + doesn't do + きらいがある."

Now, let's look at how we'd translate that sentence if we removed きらいがある:

彼は自分の利益になること以外は、何もしない。
かれ は じぶん の りえき に なる こと いがい は、 なにも しない。
He never does anything unless it's profitable to him.
Literally: "he + は + oneself + の + profit + に + become + こと + other than + は, + nothing + doesn't do."

See how much our translation changed just by adding きらいがある?

So we have:

Japanese: [Blah blah blah].
English: Blah blah blah.

Japanese: [Blah blah blah] きらいがある.
English: Have a tendency to blah blah blah.


Construction Time

Attaching きらいがある to phrases is not too difficult:

V る きらいがある
V ないきらいがある
NOUN + の きらいがある

So it can attach to a verb in present positive or negative plain form, or to a noun followed by の.

Example Vocab:

する(to do
~てしまう(to end up doing [V]

しない(to not do

和食離れ(わしょくばなれ // moving away from [eating] traditional Japanese food
運動不足(うんどうぶそく // lack of exercise

Grammar Examples:

するきらいがあるto have a tendency to do
~てしまうきらいがあるto have a tendency to end up doing [V]

しないきらいがあるto have a tendency to not do

和食離れのきらいがあるわしょくばなれのきらいがある // having a tendency to move away from [eating] traditional Japanese food
運動不足のきらいがあるうんどうぶそくのきらいがある // having a tendency to lack exercise

By the way, if that ~てしまう is confusing you, then look forward to when we finally have the N4 grammar lesson on it.


人は年を取ると、昔を美化したり若者を批判したりするきらいがある
ひと は とし を とると、 むかし を びか したり わかもの を ひはん したり する きらいがある。
As people get older, they have a tendency to idealize the past and criticize young people.
Literally: "person + は + get older (=year + を + take) + と, + old times / long ago + を + idealization / beautification + do (and) + young people + を + criticism + do (and) + do + きらいがある."

I put "idealize the past," but I think this phrase 昔を美化する (むかしをびかする) is way cooler.

昔 (むかし) refers to the old days, yeah?

Then we take the kanji for beautiful (美) and change (化) and we get 美化 (びか). Add する to get 美化する (びかする), "to idealize; to make beautiful."

I think all of us have a tendency to 美化する the past, yeah? Actually, I recently read an article about this very topic.

OK. Let's get back to the grammar.


妹は競馬に行くと、夢中になってお金を使いすぎてしまうきらいがある
いもうと は けいば に いくと、 むちゅう に なって おかね を つかいすぎてしまう きらいがある。
When my younger sister goes to the horse races, she gets completely absorbed in them, and she tends to end up spending too much money.
Literally: "younger sister + は + horse races + に + go + と, + gets absorbed in (=fascination/absorption + に + become) (and) + money + を + ends up using to much (=use too much + end up doing) + きらいがある."


最近の日本はどうも和食離れのきらいがある
さいきん の にほん は どうも わしょくばなれ の きらいがある。
Recently in Japan there has been a tendency to move away from eating traditional Japanese food.
Literally: "recently + の + Japan + は + it seems / somehow + moving away from traditional Japanese food (= traditional Japanese food + separated from) + きらいがある."

It is common to see the suffix ~離れ (ばなれ) attaching to nouns. When this happens, it means that there is a decrease or moving away from [NOUN]. For example, we could say:

若者の車離れ
わかもの の くるまばなれ
fewer young people (are) driving cars
Literally: "young people + の + moving away from cars (=cars + separated from)."


You're finished!

No go celebrate. After all, life is music, yeah?

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