Meaning & usage
がる reports how a third person appears to feel or what they appear to want, based on outward behavior. It replaces direct statements like さびしい or 食べたい, which are normally reserved for the speaker. Attach it to the stem of feeling adjectives like うれしがる and さびしがる, to ほしがる, and to the stem of たい forms like 行きたがる. The result conjugates as a godan verb, often appearing as がっている to describe an ongoing state.
Example sentences 5
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メグは日本について何でも知りたがる。
Meg is curious to know everything about Japan.
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その子は自転車をとてもほしがっている。
The boy is mad for a bicycle.
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子どもは同じ話を何度でも聞きたがるものです。
Children want to hear the same story over and over again.
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あいつは、女の子がいるとかっこつけたがるんだから。
He's a big show-off when girls are around.
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子どもは大人のようにふるまいたがる。
Children want to act like grown-ups.
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 2 past exam questions.
