JLPT N4 Grammar (garu / gatteiru)

Meaning

to show signs of; to appear; to feel, to think ~

How to use

な-adjectiveがる
がっている
がった
がらないで
い-adjective
garu gatteiru がる がっている jlpt n4 grammar meaning 文法 例文 japanese flashcards

Learn Japanese grammar: (garu) meaning: to show signs of; to appear; to feel, to think ~.

This grammar point basically turns adjectives into verbs, so the tense can change based on the verb conjugation. Let’s look at some examples:

がる – to show signs of; to feel

General Use

kare wa inu o kowa garu.

He is (appears to be/seems to be) generally afraid of dogs.

Current Tense

kare wa inu o kowa gatteiru.

He is currently showing signs of being afraid of dogs.

Current Tense

kare wa inu o kowa gatteita.

He was showing signs of being afraid of dogs.


ほしがる (hoshi garu) – to want

combine to express a strong desire or want for something. Of course, any adjective can be converted to a verb, but this form is quite common.

Cruise sensei wa atarashii jitensha o hoshi garu.

Cruise sensei wants a new bicycle (very badly).

Extra Study Notes

(garu) is generally used for speaking in the 3rd person, but it is also acceptable to use it for yourself in some situations.


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- Example Sentences

Each example sentence includes a Japanese hint, the romaji reading, and the English translation.

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Example #1

こわがらないでください。
kowa garanai de kudasai.
Please don't feel scared.
Example #2

かれはしぬのをこわがっている。
kare wa shinu no o kowa gatteiru.
He is afraid of death.
Example #3

かれはかのじょがほしがるバッグをかってあげた。
kare wa kanojo ga hoshi garu baggu o katte ageta.
He bought her the bag she wanted.
Example #4

かれはまけてざんねんがっている。
kare wa makete zannen gatteiru.
He appears to be disappointed at his defeat.
Example #5

はずかしがらないで、まえにでてきてください。
hazukashi garanai de, mae ni dete kite kudasai.
Please don't feel shy and come up to the front.
Example #6

かのじょはそのしょうねんをまるでじつのこのようにかわいがっている。
kanojo wa sono shounen o marude jitsu no ko no you ni kawai gatteiru.
She loves the boy as if he were her own child.
Example #7

あんなところにちゅうしゃしたらきんじょのひとにめいわくがるよ。
anna tokoro ni chuusha shitara kinjo no hito ni meiwaku garu yo.
The neighbors will get annoyed if you park in such a place!
Example #8

このバンドがかいさんしたらファンがかなしがるだろう。
kono bando ga kaisan shitara fan ga kanashi garu darou.
If this band breaks up, their fans will be very sad.

Vocabulary List

KanjiKanaEnglish
怖いこわいfrightening
かれhe; him​; his
死ぬしぬto die
彼女 かのじょshe; her​
欲しいほしいwant
おとうとyounger brother
来るくるto come
残念ざんねんregrettable; unfortunate
恥ずかしいはずかしいembarrassed
少年しょうねんboy; juvenile; young boy; youth; lad
実のじつのtrue; real; blood-related; biological (father, etc.)
駐車場 ちゅうしゃじょうparking lot
悲しいかなしいsad

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