JLPT N4 Elementary

がる

To show signs of feeling or wanting something

Readings

Other forms

がります polite

がった past

がって te-form

がらない negative

〜がり noun form, e.g., 怖がり - a scaredy-cat

Suffix (creates a Godan verb)

To show signs of / To seem...

Indicates that a third person shows outward signs of feeling the emotion or sensation described by the attached adjective stem.

Good to know

がる attaches to the stem of emotion adjectives or 〜たい forms and makes a verb meaning “to show signs of…” or “to seem to feel/want…”

Japanese often avoids directly stating another person’s inner feelings. Instead, you describe what you can observe from the outside.

For example: 怖い（こわい） “scared” becomes 怖がる（こわがる） “to act scared / show fear.” 行きたい（いきたい） “want to go” becomes 行きたがる（いきたがる） “to seem to want to go.”

Use がる mostly for third parties, such as he, she, they, children, or animals.

Be careful: Don’t use がる for your own current feeling. To say you are scared right now, use 怖い（こわい）, not 怖がる（こわがる）.

You can use がる about yourself only when describing an objective habit or tendency, as if watching yourself from the outside.

Example

息子は注射をとても嫌がります。

My son really shows a dislike for getting shots.

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がる

To show signs of feeling or wanting something

Example

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