がるShow signs of a feeling
The suffix がる turns a feeling or sensation expression into a verb describing how that feeling appears in someone’s behavior, expression, or reactions. It is especially common when describing another person’s apparent feelings from outward evidence.
Feelings seen from the outside
When you describe another person’s current feeling, Japanese often avoids presenting that private feeling as something directly known. This pattern instead describes what the person appears to be feeling from visible behavior, facial expression, speech, or another available clue. It presents an evidenced reaction, not certain proof of the person’s inner state.
A reaction happening now
妹は顔をしかめて、注射を怖がっている。
My younger sister is grimacing and showing fear of the injection.
AnalyzeHer grimace supplies the outward evidence, and がっている presents the reaction as currently visible.
A recurring tendency
うちの犬は雷が鳴ると机の下に隠れるほど、大きな音を怖がる。
Our dog is so afraid of loud noises that it hides under the desk when thunder sounds.
AnalyzeSimple 怖がる describes the dog’s characteristic reaction.
What causes the feeling
Many verbs formed this way can mark the thing that causes the feeling with を. In the examples above, the injection and loud noises are what produce the displayed fear.
A noun-like feeling expression
試合に負けた選手たちは、肩を落として残念がっていた。
The players who had lost the match had their shoulders slumped and were showing their disappointment.
Analyze残念だ loses final だ before がる. Their slumped shoulders provide the observable cue.
Similar-looking patterns
たがる reports an apparent desire to perform an action. そうだ gives an immediate appearance judgment or prediction rather than creating a verb of manifested feeling. ぶる suggests acting as though one has a quality or status, often with a critical sense of putting on a persona; plain がる does not itself imply deliberate pretense.
More examples
彼は足首を押さえ、ひどく痛がっている。
He is clutching his ankle and showing signs of severe pain.
Analyze娘は知らない人に話しかけられると、私の後ろに隠れて恥ずかしがる。
When a stranger speaks to my daughter, she hides behind me out of shyness.
Analyze猫は水をかけられると、耳を伏せて嫌がる。
When water is splashed on the cat, it flattens its ears and shows its dislike.
Analyze祖母は暖房をつけても、厚い上着を着て寒がっている。
Even with the heating on, my grandmother is wearing a thick jacket and showing that she feels cold.
Analyze彼女は結果を聞くと、目を伏せて残念がった。
When she heard the result, she lowered her eyes in disappointment.
Analyze子どもたちは大きな犬を見ると、親の後ろに隠れて怖がる。
When the children see a large dog, they hide behind their parents in fear.
Analyze