あの子（こ）はゲームをほしがる。

嫌（いや）がっているから、ちょっと離（はな）れて。

私（わたし）の猫（ねこ）は怖（こわ）がる。

私（わたし）の弟（おとうと）は強（つよ）がる。

初（はじ）めての飛行機（ひこうき）なので怖（こわ）いと思（おも）うけど、怖（こわ）がらないでね。

映画（えいが）を見（み）て、面白（おもしろ）がっています。

君（きみ）の車（くるま）を欲（ほ）しがる人（ひと）はいないと思（おも）う。

恥（は）ずかしがらないで。スピーチが上手（じょうず）だったよ。

飼（か）い猫（ねこ）を外（そと）に出（だ）してみれば？面白（おもしろ）がるよ！

今（いま）Nintendoスイッチを持（も）っている人（ひと）は皆（みんな）ゼルダの伝説（でんせつ）ブレスオブザワイルドを欲（ほ）しがっているだろう。

子供（こども）の時（とき）宇宙人（うちゅうじん）のことを怖（こわ）がっていた 。

家（うち）の子供（こども）たちは家事（かじ）の手伝（てつだ）いを嫌（いや）がっている。

<div class='writeup-body'>がる is a う-Verb that is primarily used as a suffix in Japanese. When used in this way, it means 'to act like (A)', or 'to show signs of being (A)', where (A) is the word that it is attached to. To use がる, you will need to link it to the stem form of an い-Adjective (simply remove the い), or to the stem form of a な-Adjective (do not include the な).<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>彼（かれ）はいつも女（おんな）の子（こ）の前（まえ）では強（つよ）がるけど友達（ともだち）の中（なか）では彼（かれ）は一番（いちばん）の怖（こわ）がりだ。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>He always acts tough in front of girls, but amongst our friends he is the biggest scaredy-cat.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>犬（いぬ）が嫌（いや）がる事（こと）をしてはいけない。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>You must not do anything that the dog would not like.</div></li></ul>がる is a verb which means 'to give the impression of (A)', or 'to act like (A)'. This is very important in Japanese, as you would not usually say how somebody else feels, unless they told you directly and you are simply repeating what you heard (in which case you would use the quotation particle と).<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>トムはこの新（あたら）しいゲームを欲（ほ）しいと思（おも）うよ。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>I think Tom would want this new game.</div></li></ul>When you want to express the way you 'think' that someone else feels, but don't have any direct information about it, that is when がる would be natural to use. For example, if you see someone shivering in the cold, you would say something like the following.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>あの人（ひと）、寒（さむ）がっている。ジャケット着（き）ればいいのに。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>That person seems like they feel cold. It would be better if he wore his jacket. (Natural Japanese, as がる shows how he 'appears to be acting', rather than what he is actually feeling)</div></li></ul>The main difference between がる, and がっている, is that がる will be used when a person usually/always acts a certain way, whereas がっている is more about the way someone/something is acting in any specific moment.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>この子（こ）はいつも新（あたら）しいおもちゃを欲（ほ）しがる。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>This kid always wants new toys.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>キムは新（あたら）しいパソコンをほしがっている。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Kim is wanting a new computer.</div></li></ul><div class='writeup-caution'><div class='caution-header'>Caution</div>がる may also be used to describe yourself (in the third person). This is when you want to express the way you think that you act/are acting, or a way you assume other people view your behavior.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>俺（おれ）はいつも人（ひと）の前（まえ）では強（つよ）がる。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>I always act tough in front of people. (I probably always appear to act tough)</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>私（わたし）は今（いま）、犬（いぬ）をほしがっているけど、マンションに住（す）んでいるからまだ飼（か）えない。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Right now, I am wanting a dog, but since I live in an apartment, I can't get one yet. (I am currently acting like I want a dog)</div></li></ul></div><div class='writeup-funfact'><div class='funfact-header'>Fun Fact</div>The use of がっている to express an 'in the moment' way that someone is acting, is slowly becoming less and less common in modern Japanese. Regularly, そう will be used instead, to express that someone (or something) 'seems' a certain way.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>あの人（ひと）、暑（あつ）がっているね。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>That person looks like they are hot, don't you think. (They're acting like they're hot)</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>あの人（ひと）、暑（あつ）そうだね。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>That person looks like they are hot, don't you think. (They seem hot)</div></li></ul></div></div>

Grammar Info

がる

To feel, To think, To act as if, To want, To desire