Saying “X tends to do Y” in Japanese is not one grammar point. It is at least three patterns, and the JLPT N1 loves to test which one fits the polarity and intensity of a given sentence. 〜きらいがある is critical. 〜むきがある is neutral-observational. 〜気味だ is a slight shading, often physical. Get the polarity right and your tendency sentences feel native; get it wrong and the sentence sounds tone-deaf.
1. The Family Map
| Pattern | Polarity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 〜きらいがある | Negative / critical | Behavioral flaw |
| 〜むきがある | Neutral / observational | Personality leaning |
| 〜気味だ | Slight, often physical | Health, mood, state |
2. 〜きらいがある — The Critical Tendency
The 嫌い here is not the “dislike” word. It is an older Sino-Japanese sense of “type / tendency.” The pattern always carries a critical edge: the speaker is identifying a flaw.
彼は物事を悲観的に考えるきらいがある。
He has a tendency to view things pessimistically.
最近の若者は責任を避けるきらいがある。
Young people these days have a tendency to dodge responsibility.
If your tendency is positive (e.g. “tends to study a lot”), do not reach for きらいがある — the polarity will not match.
3. 〜むきがある — The Neutral Inclination
むきがある reports an inclination without judgment. It is the tone of analysts and observers.
彼女は理屈っぽく考えるむきがある。
She has a tendency to think logically.
このチームは守備重視のむきがある。
This team has a defensive-oriented tendency.
The pattern is rarer in conversation but common in business reports and analysis.
4. 〜気味だ — The Slight Shading
気味 lit. “a feel / a touch” gives a sentence a small dose of something. Health, mood, and physical states dominate.
最近、ちょっと風邪気味です。
I’ve been a touch under the weather lately.
疲れ気味なので、早めに帰る。
I’m feeling a little tired so I’ll head home early.
少し太り気味だ。
I’m a little on the heavy side.
The 気味 family is firmly the “low intensity, often physical” one. Severe states call for different patterns (がち, ぎみ→ぎみ).
5. The Discrimination Drill
(A) 彼は他人に厳しすぎる___。 → きらいがある (critical tendency)
(B) 彼は分析的に考える___。 → むきがある (neutral inclination)
(C) 最近、寝不足___だ。 → 気味 (slight physical state)
6. Form Notes
| Word type | + きらいがある | + むきがある | + 気味だ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain verb | 避けるきらいがある | 考えるむきがある | (verb stem)疲れ気味だ |
| Noun | (rare) | (rare) | 風邪気味だ |
| i-adj | (rare) | (rare) | (rare) |
Note: 気味 attaches to the verb-stem (masu-stem) form, not the dictionary form. 疲れ → 疲れ気味, 焦り → 焦り気味.
7. Adjacent Pattern: 〜がち
〜がち is N3-N2 grammar but lives in the same conceptual neighborhood. It expresses “tends to” with mid-strength, often unwanted, frequency.
遅刻しがち。 Tends to be late.
JLPT loves to test がち alongside the N1 trio. Don’t let them blur together.
8. The N1 Common Mistake
- きらいがある with positive traits: ✗ 彼はよく勉強するきらいがある — positive traits do not fit.
- 気味だ with major states: 風邪気味 (mild cold) is fine; severe illness is not.
- むきがある in casual speech: Sounds stilted in conversation. Reserve for analysis writing.
9. The 5-Day Drill
- Day 1: Three sentences with きらいがある describing a behavioral flaw.
- Day 2: Three sentences with むきがある describing a neutral inclination.
- Day 3: Three sentences with 気味だ describing a slight physical state.
- Day 4: Mix — rewrite each sentence with the wrong pattern and notice why it fails.
- Day 5: Apply each to descriptions of three real people you know.
15 sentences with explicit polarity feedback locks the discrimination in.
Drill the Tendency Family in Kanjijo
Kanjijo’s N1 grammar deck tags every tendency sentence by polarity and severity, with audio examples and OCR scanning so you can drop sentences from real Japanese articles into your SRS queue.
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Frequently Asked Questions
きらいがある = critical. むきがある = neutral. 気味だ = slight physical/mood shading.
No — here 嫌い means “type/tendency.” Always critical in tone though.
Mostly neutral or negative. 風邪気味, 疲れ気味, 太り気味 dominate.
Using きらいがある for trivial or positive tendencies.
Use polarity-tagged cloze cards in Kanjijo.