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よがる Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
feel satisfied ; be pleased with oneself ; be proud
usually written using kana alone
Describes a state of self-satisfaction or contentment, often with a nuance of being pleased with one's own situation or achievements. Can carry a slightly self-congratulatory tone.
You shouldn't be too pleased with yourself.
Written forms よがる Usage 92%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 善がる and 良がる are rare and may not be widely recognized.
善よ がる Usage 8%
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.
良よ がる
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.
Kanji 善 virtuous, good, goodness Similar words 満まん 足ぞく する 満足する is a more general and neutral term for being satisfied, while よがる often implies a self-focused, sometimes smug satisfaction.
得とく 意い になる 得意になる means to become proud or boastful, often in a more outwardly expressive way, whereas よがる is more about an internal feeling of self-satisfaction.
Etymology Derived from the adjective 良い (よい, good) combined with the suffix がる, which expresses feeling or showing signs of a state. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it likely emerged as a colloquial expression for self-satisfaction.