Explore 憎 through words for hatred and strong dislike. Learn each reading in a complete word and context.
The idea
憎 has 14 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 憎む（にくむ） is a verb, 憎い（にくい） an adjective, and 憎しみ（にくしみ） a noun. The compound 憎悪（ぞうお） uses the on-reading.
Examples
- 彼は暴力を憎んでいます。He hates violence.
- 憎しみは争いを生みます。Hatred breeds conflict.
- 彼女は憎しみを捨てました。She let go of her hatred.
- その映画は憎悪を描いています。The film depicts hatred.
- 憎悪の連鎖を断ちたいです。I want to break the cycle of hatred.
- 憎い相手にも事情があります。Even someone you hate has their own circumstances.
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Watch out
憎む expresses strong hatred, stronger than ordinary dislike such as 嫌い. 憎悪 is a formal word for intense hatred; do not confuse 憎 with the similar-looking 増.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 憎む in hiragana.
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にくむ
憎む is にくむ: the verb means to hate, as in hating violence.
Write the reading of 憎悪 in hiragana.
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ぞうお
憎悪 is ぞうお: the compound names intense hatred.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿しみ（にくしみ）［憎／増］.
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憎
憎 completes 憎しみ（にくしみ）, the noun for hatred; 増 means increase.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 憎む in hiragana.
Write the reading of 憎悪 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿しみ（にくしみ）［憎／増］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 憎 using the diagram. Cover the examples, read 憎む and 憎悪, then make a sentence with one of them.