Proverb / Kotowaza
坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎い
Hating someone so much that you extend that hatred to everything associated with them.
If you hate the monk, you even hate his robe
Quick Answer
Hating someone so much that you extend that hatred to everything associated with them.
- Literal Image
- If you hate the monk, you even hate his robe
- How to Use It
- Used to describe a situation where a person's dislike for an individual causes them to irrationally criticize or despise things or people connected to that individual.
Meaning
This expression describes the psychological tendency where intense hatred for a specific person spreads to everything associated with them. It suggests that once a person is truly disliked, their family, friends, possessions, and even their habits or affiliations begin to feel equally repulsive to the observer.
Literal Image
If you hate the monk, you even hate his robe
How to Use It
Used to describe a situation where a person's dislike for an individual causes them to irrationally criticize or despise things or people connected to that individual.
Tone
Observational and used to point out irrational or excessive behavior.
Examples
彼はあの政治家を嫌うあまり、党の他のメンバーまで批判している。坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎いだ。
He dislikes that politician so much that he is even criticizing other members of the party. It's a case of hating the monk and his robes.
坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎いというが、相手の持ち物まで悪く言うのはやりすぎだ。
They say that if you hate the monk you'll hate his robes, but speaking ill of someone's belongings is going too far.
一度嫌いになると、坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎い状態で、彼の書く字すら嫌になった。
Once I started to dislike him, I entered a state where I hated everything about him, even down to his handwriting.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the contracted conditional form '-kerya' and specific vocabulary like 'kesa' (monk's robe). The underlying concept is an idiomatic extension of emotion.
坊主
ぼうず / bozu
Buddhist monk
憎い
にくい / nikui
hateful; detestable
袈裟
けさ / kesa
Buddhist monk's stole; robe
まで
made
even; as far as
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is used to describe someone else's irrational behavior rather than one's own.
Misread Risk
Do not assume this refers only to religious contexts; it is a general metaphor for transferred hatred.
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Origin
The proverb is based on the idea that if a person begins to hate a Buddhist monk, they will eventually come to find even the Buddhist robes (kesa) that the monk wears to be hateful.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.