Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
To show signs of wanting to; to appear to desire.
🎯 Primary Function
To express the desire or want of a third person. It is the third-person equivalent of the speaker’s 〜たい.
📋 Grammar Structure
V-Stem (ます form minus ます) + たがる
N/A. 〜たがる only attaches to verb stems.
N/A. 〜たがる only attaches to verb stems.
V-Stem + たがらない (conjugated like an i-adjective or Group 1 verb depending on form)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in slightly formal conversation, often with the polite continuous form (〜たがっています). It maintains distance by reporting an observed state, rather than a direct statement of desire.
Informal Situations
Very common when talking about the feelings and intentions of others, especially friends, family, and children.
Written Language
Appears in narrative texts, dialogues, and descriptive articles to convey a character’s internal state through external observation.
Spoken Language
Highly frequent, particularly in the 〜たがっている form, as it describes a current, observable state.
💡 Common Applications
Describing the observable desires of children or pets.
Since children often express their wants through action or crying, this structure is perfect for stating their observable desire.
Example: 子供はお菓子を食べたがっている。(Kodomo wa okashi o tabetagatte iru.)
Inferring the desires of a third-person adult based on their behavior or comments.
Used when the speaker infers the desire of someone else, typically a superior or acquaintance, based on indirect evidence.
Example: 部長は新しいプロジェクトに参加したがっているようだ。(Buchō wa atarashii purojekuto ni sanka shitagatte iru yō da.)
Describing a general tendency or personality trait of reluctance (using the negative form).
The negative form, 〜たがらない, is used to describe a third person’s tendency to avoid a certain action.
Example: 彼は人前で歌いたがらない。(Kare wa hitomae de utaitagaranai.)
Frequency
Common in daily conversation and descriptive writing.
Difficulty
JLPT N4/N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
子供は新しいおもちゃを見たがっている。
Furigana: こどもはあたらしおもちゃをみたがっている。
Romaji: Kodomo wa atarashii omocha o mitagatte iru.
English: The child is showing signs of wanting to look at the new toy.
Example #2
彼は疲れているから、早く帰りたがっている。
Furigana: かれはつかれているからはやくかえりたがっている。
Romaji: Kare wa tsukarete iru kara, hayaku kaeritagatte iru.
English: Since he is tired, he appears to want to go home quickly.
Example #3
彼女は外国に行きたがらない。
Furigana: かのじょはがいこくにいきたがらない。
Romaji: Kanojo wa gaikoku ni ikitagaranai.
English: She doesn’t want to go abroad.
Example #4
猫はいつも窓の外を眺めたがる。
Furigana: ねこはいつもまどのそとをながめたがる。
Romaji: Neko wa itsumo mado no soto o nagametagaru.
English: My cat always wants to stare out the window.
Example #5
田中さんは課長に会いたがっています。
Furigana: たなかさんはかちょうにあいたがっています。
Romaji: Tanaka-san wa kachō ni aitagatte imasu.
English: Mr. Tanaka is expressing a desire to meet the section chief.
Example #6
うちの犬は、散歩に行きたがって玄関で待っている。
Furigana: うちのいぬは、さんぽにいきたがってげんかんでまっている。
Romaji: Uchi no inu wa, sanpo ni ikitagatte genkan de matte iru.
English: Our dog wants to go for a walk and is waiting at the entrance.
Example #7
病気の母は、何も食べたがらない。
Furigana: びょうきのははは、なにもたべたがらない。
Romaji: Byōki no haha wa, nani mo tabetagaranai.
English: My sick mother doesn’t want to eat anything.
Example #8
学生たちは早く試験を終えたがっている。
Furigana: がくせいたちははやくしけんをおえたがっている。
Romaji: Gakusei-tachi wa hayaku shiken o oetagatatte iru.
English: The students are showing signs of wanting to finish the exam quickly.
Example #9
友人は、その映画の続きを知りたがっている。
Furigana: ゆうじんは、そのえいがのつづきをしりたがっている。
Romaji: Yūjin wa, sono eiga no tsuzuki o shiritagatte iru.
English: My friend wants to know the continuation of that movie.
Example #10
彼女はみんなの前で話したがらない性格だ。
Furigana: かのじょはみんなのまえではなしたがらないせいかくだ。
Romaji: Kanojo wa minna no mae de hanashitagaranai seikaku da.
English: She has a personality where she doesn’t want to speak in front of everyone.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Strictly for Third Person.
The absolute rule for 〜たがる is that it *must* be used only for a third person. If you use it for yourself (watashi), it sounds highly unnatural and suggests you are observing your own behavior.
Example: 弟は犬を飼いたがっている。(Otōto wa inu o kaitagatte iru.)
Difference from 欲しがる (Hoshigaru).
〜たがる is for *verbs* (actions). For the desire of *nouns* (things), the structure 欲しがる (hoshigaru, derived from the i-adjective 欲しい) must be used. Both 欲しがる and 〜たがる follow the same third-person rule.
Example: 彼はゲームが欲しがっている。(Kare wa gēmu ga hoshigatte iru.)
Inference vs. Direct Question.
While 〜たい is used for the speaker’s feeling, you cannot directly ask the listener about a third person’s desire using 〜たがる. You must ask with 〜たいですか or infer with 〜ようだ. However, 〜たがる is commonly used in the *response*.
Example: A: 彼女は行きたいですか？ (Kanojo wa ikitai desu ka?) B: はい、行きたがっています。 (Hai, ikitagatte imasu.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 私はコーヒーを飲みたがります。(Watashi wa kōhī o nomitagarimasu.)
✅ Use 〜たい (tai) instead. (e.g., 私はコーヒーが飲みたい。)
A common mistake for beginners is using 〜たがる to express their own desire. 〜たがる is strictly for third persons.
❌ 彼は家に帰るたがる。(Kare wa ie ni kaerutagaru.)
✅ Use the continuous form 〜たがっている or 〜たがります. (e.g., 彼は家に帰りたがっている。)
While 〜たがる exists, it is more natural and common to use the continuous form 〜たがっている to describe the ongoing state of wanting something. The simple form 〜たがる tends to suggest a general tendency.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to mildly respectful. Using 〜たがっています (polite continuous form) makes it suitable for discussing colleagues or superiors. Using 〜たがる/〜たがっている is neutral.
Social Situations: Crucial for describing children, patients, or anyone whose desires cannot be known directly through speech, forcing the speaker to infer based on observation.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese structure. No significant regional variations in usage.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜たい (tai) vs. 〜たがる (tagaru)
〜たい directly states the speaker’s own desire (first person). 〜たがる reports or infers a third person’s desire (based on observation).
When to use: Use 〜たい when stating your own desire. Use 〜たがる when describing what someone else wants.
〜たがっている vs. 〜たがる
〜たがっている (continuous form) is much more common and describes the present, ongoing state of wanting. 〜たがる (simple form) often describes a general tendency or personality trait.
When to use: Use 〜たがっている for immediate or current wants (e.g., ‘He wants to drink water right now’). Use 〜たがる for habitual desires (e.g., ‘He is a person who always wants to be the center of attention’).
📝 Conjugation Notes
The resulting form, 〜たがる, conjugates as a Group 1 (Godan) verb. Past tense is 〜たがった, negative is 〜たがらない, and the common continuous form is 〜たがっている.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The four syllables ta-ga-ru should be pronounced clearly. The ‘ga’ is voiced, distinguishing it from ‘ka’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 〜たがる as ‘tai + garu’ where ‘garu’ means ‘to show signs of’. It turns a desire (‘tai’) into an observable behavior (‘garu’).
Other Grammar
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