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).
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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。
He always acts tough in front of girls, but amongst our friends he is the biggest scaredy-cat.
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犬(いぬ)が嫌(いや)がる事(こと)をしてはいけない。
You must not do anything that the dog would not like.
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).
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.
-
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。
That person seems like they are 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)
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.
-
この子(こ)はいつも新(あたら)しいおもちゃを欲(ほ)しがる。
This kid always wants new toys.
-
キムは新(あたら)しいパソコンをほしがっている。
Kim is wanting a new computer.
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.
-
俺(おれ)はいつも人(ひと)の前(まえ)では強(つよ)がる。
I always act tough in front of people. (I probably always appear to act tough)
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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。
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)
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.
-
あの人(ひと)、暑(あつ)がっているね。
That person looks like they are hot, don't you think. (They’re acting like they’re hot)
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あの人(ひと)、暑(あつ)そうだね。
That person looks like they are hot, don't you think. (They seem hot)