〜がる
JLPT N4:showing feelings
Describes outward signs of someone's feelings or sensations, such as fear or cold.
How to form it
- With established feeling or sensation い-adjectives, drop the final い and add がる: 怖い becomes 怖がる, and 寒い becomes 寒がる.
- The result is a godan verb. Use がっている for a reaction you can observe now; がる can describe a habitual reaction.
- With a verb such as 怖がる, mark what is feared with を: 犬を怖がる (be afraid of dogs).
Examples
子供は犬を怖がっています。
The child is showing fear of the dog.
弟は寒がっています。
My little brother is showing signs of feeling cold.
猫は水を怖がっています。
The cat is showing fear of water.
Notes
- Learn established combinations. がる is not a general way to turn every adjective into "looks…".
- Observing someone this way can sound judgmental. You can instead report their words or say how they seem.
- For a wish to do something, use 〜たがる: 遊びたがっている (wants to play). 怖がっている describes fear, not a wish.