Key Facts
- Hangul: 싫어하다 (sireohada)
- Pronunciation: [시러하다]
- Meaning: to dislike
- Level: A1
- Stem: 싫어하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 싫어하세요
What Does 싫어하다 Mean?
싫어하다 means to dislike: to have a dislike for something or someone, as in 벌레를 싫어하다. It is transitive, and the thing disliked takes 을/를. The adjective 싫다 works differently and takes 이/가.
Meanings:
- to dislike. Have a dislike for something or someone, as in 벌레를 싫어하다.
It is stronger than 안 좋아하다, which only says you do not like something. The adjective 싫다 is more direct and personal: 저는 비가 싫어요 is how you blurt out 'I hate rain'.
How Do You Pronounce 싫어하다?
The spelling and the sound differ: 싫어하다 is read [시러하다], because the ㅎ in the final cluster ㅀ of 싫 is silent before a vowel, and the ㄹ moves across to the next syllable. The same happens in the polite present, 싫어해요 [시러해요]. The past 싫어했어요 is read [시러해써요], and the formal present 싫어합니다 is read [시러함니다].
How the forms sound:
- 싫어해요 [시러해요]
- 싫어했어요 [시러해써요]
- 싫어할 거예요 [시러할꺼예요]
- 싫어하겠어요 [시러하게써요]
- 싫어합니다 [시러함니다]
- 싫어했습니다 [시러핻씀니다]
- 싫어할 것입니다 [시러할꺼심니다]
- 싫어해 [시러해]
- 싫어했어 [시러해써]
- 싫어할 거야 [시러할꺼야]
- 싫어하고 싶어요 [시러하고 시퍼요]
- 싫어하세요 [시러하세요]
- 싫어해서 [시러해서]
- 싫어하면 [시러하면]
- 싫어하는 [시러하는]
- 싫어한 [시러한]
- 싫어할 [시러할]
- 안 싫어해요 [안 시러해요]
- 싫어하지 않아요 [시러하지 아나요]
How Do You Use 싫어하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매운 음식을 싫어해요.
I dislike spicy food.
매운 음식을 means spicy food, with the object 을/를. The polite present 싫어해요 states a plain dislike. (싫어해요)
어릴 때 채소를 싫어했어요.
I disliked vegetables when I was young.
어릴 때 means when I was young, and 채소를 names the object. The past 싫어했어요 describes a dislike from an earlier time. (싫어했어요)
제가 싫어하는 계절은 여름이에요.
The season I dislike is summer.
싫어하는 is the present modifier, and the noun 계절은 is the season. The sentence completes it with 여름이에요. (싫어하는)
How Does Sireohada Conjugation Work?
싫어하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 싫어해요 | ||
| Polite past | 싫어했어요 | ||
| Polite future | 싫어할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 싫어하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 싫어합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 싫어했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 싫어할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 싫어해 | ||
| Casual past | 싫어했어 | ||
| Casual future | 싫어할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 싫어하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 싫어하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 싫어해서 | ||
| Conditional | 싫어하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 싫어하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 싫어한 | ||
| Future modifier | 싫어할 | ||
| Short negative | 안 싫어해요 | ||
| Long negative | 싫어하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 싫어해요 | [시러해요] |
| Polite past | 싫어했어요 | [시러해써요] |
| Polite future | 싫어할 거예요 | [시러할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 싫어하겠어요 | [시러하게써요] |
| Formal present | 싫어합니다 | [시러함니다] |
| Formal past | 싫어했습니다 | [시러핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 싫어할 것입니다 | [시러할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 싫어해 | [시러해] |
| Casual past | 싫어했어 | [시러해써] |
| Casual future | 싫어할 거야 | [시러할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 싫어하고 싶어요 | [시러하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 싫어하세요 | [시러하세요] |
| Because / and then | 싫어해서 | [시러해서] |
| Conditional | 싫어하면 | [시러하면] |
| Present modifier | 싫어하는 | [시러하는] |
| Past modifier | 싫어한 | [시러한] |
| Future modifier | 싫어할 | [시러할] |
| Short negative | 안 싫어해요 | [안 시러해요] |
| Long negative | 싫어하지 않아요 | [시러하지 아나요] |
Is 싫어하다 Regular or Irregular?
싫어하다 is a 하다 word. The 하 meets 여 and contracts to 해 before any 아/어 ending: 싫어해요, 싫어했어요, 싫어해서. The pattern is on the 하다 to 해요 page. For the negative, the negating 하다 verbs page covers 안 placement.
Which Mistake Do Learners Make with 싫어하다, to Dislike?
Wrong: ✗ 저는 비가 싫어해요
Correct: ✓ 저는 비를 싫어해요 / 저는 비가 싫어요
Why: 싫어하다 takes 을/를; with 이/가 you need the adjective 싫다 instead.
Learners keep the English subject pattern and write 저는 비가 싫어해요. The verb 싫어하다 takes 을/를: 저는 비를 싫어해요. If you want 이/가, switch to the adjective: 저는 비가 싫어요.
How Does 싫어하다, to Dislike, Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 싫다 | 싫다 is an adjective with 이/가, meaning something is unpleasant to you. 싫어하다 is a verb with 을/를, meaning to dislike something. |
| 좋아하다 | 좋아하다 is the opposite: to like. The pair is symmetrical, with the same 을/를 pattern. |
Choosing Lunch with a Friend
Two friends are deciding what to order. They use polite speech and compare a present preference with an earlier one. The question asks about dislike directly, so it is useful when choosing food that both people can enjoy.
Mina
매운 음식을 싫어해요?
Maeun eumsigeul sireohaeyo?
Do you dislike spicy food?
Jun
네, 싫어해요.
Ne, sireohaeyo.
Yes, I do.
Mina
저도 어릴 때 싫어했어요.
Jeodo eoril ttae sireohaesseoyo.
I disliked it when I was young too.
Jun
그럼 다른 음식을 먹어요.
Geureom dareun eumsigeul meogeoyo.
Then let us eat something else.
Jun can leave out 매운 음식을 because Mina has already named it. Mina uses the past 싫어했어요, which places her dislike in childhood. 저도 means “I too”; it connects her experience to Jun’s without claiming that their preferences are identical now.
Common Combinations with 싫어하다
벌레를 싫어하다 means “to dislike bugs”. The object names what causes the dislike. It can explain why someone avoids a campsite, but it does not by itself say they are frightened. For fear, compare 무서워하다, which describes being afraid of something.
싫어하는 음식 means “food someone dislikes”. The ending 는 lets 싫어하다 describe the noun 음식. You may hear this phrase when friends plan a shared meal or a host asks about preferences. It reports taste, rather than a medical restriction.
싫어하지 않아요 means “I do not dislike it”. This is weaker than saying “I like it”. A person might be neutral, undecided, or gently pushing back against the suggestion that they hate something. The negative leaves the strength of any positive feeling open.
Where Will You Hear 싫어하다?
Food, weather, insects, and activities are common subjects of preference conversations. A teacher or friend can ask about 싫어하는 것, “things you dislike”, as part of getting to know someone. The noun 것 keeps the question broad when no particular object has been named.
In a drama, the object can be a person. Saying you dislike someone is personal and potentially hurtful even with 요 on the end. Politeness in the ending does not make the opinion gentle. When you only mean a mild lack of enthusiasm, 안 좋아하다 can express that smaller claim.
When declining an offered dish, you may prefer a brief refusal or a statement about what you can eat. 싫어해요 describes dislike explicitly. It is useful information when someone asks your preferences, but it can sound blunt as an unprompted judgement of their cooking.
Keep the Verb Together When Adding Endings
싫어하다 is one verb, so write 싫어해요 and 싫어하는 without a space inside them. The 어 after 싫 is already part of this verb's dictionary form. Conjugation changes the final 하다 portion; you do not remove that internal 어 to make the polite form.
The silent ㅎ in 싫어하다 is a pronunciation feature, not a spelling change. The written 싫 remains even though you hear 시러. This is why listening alone can tempt a learner to simplify the spelling too far. Match the sound to the complete written word.
When someone else is the person with the preference, 싫어하다 lets you report that preference with the same object pattern. A name or title can identify that person, and the disliked thing still takes 을/를. Changing the subject does not change the thing disliked into an 이/가 phrase.
Related Words for Preferences
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 좋아하다 | to like | Uses the same object markers as 싫어하다. |
| 싫다 | to be unpleasant; to dislike | Uses 이/가 for the disliked thing. |
| 무서워하다 | to be afraid of | Adds fear, which dislike alone does not imply. |
| 취향 | taste; preference | Useful when explaining different likes and dislikes. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson gives the wider set for describing how people feel.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Add the correct particle: 채소___ 싫어해요.
- Change 싫어해요 to polite past.
- Complete “food I dislike”: 제가 ___ 음식.
Show answers
- 채소를 싫어해요.
- 싫어했어요.
- 제가 싫어하는 음식.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 싫어하지 않아요 necessarily mean “I love it”?
- Which part contracts in 싫어해요?
- Does a polite ending make “I dislike you” a gentle comment?
Show answers
- No. It only denies dislike.
- The final 하 portion changes to 해; 싫어 stays intact.
- No. The meaning can still be hurtful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is 저는 비가 싫어해요 Wrong?
싫어하다 takes 을/를. Use 비를 싫어해요, or switch to the adjective 싫다 with 이/가.
How Is 싫어하다 Read?
As [시러하다]. The ㅎ is not pronounced before the vowel.
Is 싫어하다 Stronger than 안 좋아하다?
Yes. 안 좋아하다 only says you do not like something; 싫어하다 says you actively dislike it.
How Do 싫어하다 and 싫다 Differ in Use?
싫어하다 is a verb with 을/를, and 싫다 is an adjective with 이/가.
Which Words Are Related to 싫어하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 싫다 for the adjective, 좋아하다 for the opposite, 미안하다 for apologies, and 무서워하다 for fear. The Korean verb conjugator checks any form of 싫어하다; the whole Korean verb dictionary lists the other entries, and the class rule is on the 하다 to 해요 page.