Japatan
Formation
- V辞書形 + きらいがある
- Vない形 + きらいがある
- N + の + きらいがある
Explanation
A written expression that points out, somewhat critically, an undesirable tendency of a person or organization. Here きらい means 'tendency', not 'dislike'. It often appears with どうも, とかく or やや. It is not used for good habits or one-time events.
Examples
彼は人の話を最後まで聞かずに 判断するきらいがある。
He tends to make judgments without listening to people all the way through.
私は一度決めると、他の人の意見に耳を 貸さないきらいがある。
Once I decide something, I tend not to listen to other people's opinions.
この会社は、前例のない仕事を 避けるきらいがある。
This company has a tendency to avoid work that has no precedent.
佐藤さんの文章は、やや 説明過多のきらいがある。
Sato's writing tends to be a little over-explained.
Notes
〜がちだ is common in speech and means 'often'; きらいがある is more formal and critically describes a characteristic tendency. The verb before it is not in the past form.
Mini quiz
1兄は物事を悪い方に考え（ ）。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 すぎるきらいがある
My brother tends to think too negatively about things. The pattern is dictionary form + きらいがある; きらいだ is not used.
2部長は部下の小さな失敗を（ ）きらいがある。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 大げさに言う
The manager tends to exaggerate his staff's small mistakes. The dictionary form comes before きらいがある; past, volitional and ば forms are not used.
3「きらいがある」の使い方が正しい文はどれですか。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 3 山田さんは自分の考えを人に押し付けるきらいがある。
Yamada tends to push his ideas on others. きらいがある is for bad tendencies, so 1 (a good habit) and 2 (a single plan) are wrong, and it does not follow i-adjectives as in 4.
