Meaning and Usage
The adjective 憎い (にくい) expresses strong dislike or hatred toward a person, action, or thing. It often conveys emotional intensity, such as resentment or deep displeasure.
Common Contexts
憎い is frequently used to describe feelings toward someone who has caused harm or betrayal. It can also appear in literary or emotional expressions to emphasize strong negative feelings.
Collocations and Patterns
- 憎いほど (にくいほど): "to the extent of hatred"; used to emphasize the degree of dislike.
- 憎いあまりに: "because of hating so much"; shows cause-effect related to strong negative emotion.
- 憎い敵 (にくいてき): "hateful enemy"; common collocation in narratives or discussions about conflict.
Register and Nuance
憎い is somewhat formal and literary compared to more casual words like 嫌い (きらい). It is often used in written language, novels, or serious conversations rather than everyday casual speech.
Common Learner Mistake
Do not confuse 憎い (にくい) with the suffix 〜にくい which means "difficult to...". They are homophones but unrelated in meaning. Pay attention to context and kanji to avoid confusion.