Posted inN4 Grammar

Expressing Others’ Desires: The Japanese Grammar Pattern ~たがる (N4)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

To express that a third person (someone other than the speaker) desires something or wants to perform an action.

🎯 Primary Function

Used to report or describe the visible desire or inclination of a third person. It often suggests the speaker is observing or inferring this desire from their appearance or actions.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb ます-stem + たがる (e.g., 食べたい -> 食べたがる, 飲みたい -> 飲みたがる, したい -> したがる, 来たい -> 来たがる)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in more descriptive or narrative formal contexts, but is generally less common than more objective reporting methods.

😊 Informal Situations

Very commonly used in casual conversation when talking about the wants of family, friends, pets, etc.

✍️ Written Language

Used in novels, articles, and other written forms to describe characters’ or people’s desires.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in everyday conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Describing a child’s wants.
Children often express their wants visibly through actions or words, making ~たがる suitable for describing these.
Example: 子供は遊びたがっています。(Kodomo wa asobitagatte imasu.) – The child wants to play. (Implies the child is showing signs of wanting to play).
Reporting an adult’s expressed wish.
Can be used to report what an adult has said they want, especially if it seems like a strong or ongoing desire.
Example: 彼は新しい仕事を見つけたがっています。(Kare wa atarashii shigoto o mitsuketagatte imasu.) – He wants to find a new job. (Perhaps he talks about it often or seems eager).
Describing an animal’s behavior indicating desire.
Often used for pets whose desires are inferred from their actions (e.g., wanting food, wanting to go outside).
Example: 猫がドアを開けたがっています。(Neko ga doa o aketagatte imasu.) – The cat wants the door to be opened. (Implies the cat is meowing, scratching, etc.).
📊
Frequency
Moderately frequent, especially when discussing others in everyday conversation.
🎚️
Difficulty
N4
Example Sentences
彼女は外国へ行きたがっています。
She wants to go abroad.
弟はいつもゲームをしたがります。
My younger brother always wants to play games.
暑くて、みんな冷たい飲み物を飲みたがっていた。
It was hot, and everyone wanted to drink cold drinks.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Only for Third Person Desire
This pattern is strictly used for describing the desires of someone other than the speaker. You cannot use it to say what *you* want.
Example: ❌ 私は映画を見たがります。 -> ✅ 私は映画が見たいです。(I want to watch a movie.)
Often Implies Observable Signs
While not a strict rule, ~たがる is frequently used when the desire is somehow visible or apparent through behavior, expressions, or repeated statements.
Example: 子供がお菓子を見て、食べたがっています。(Kodomo ga okashi o mite, tabetagatte imasu.) – The child is looking at the sweets and wants to eat them. (The looking implies visible desire).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using ~たがる for one’s own desire.
✅ Use ~たい instead.
~たがる is only for third-person desires.
❌ undefined
✅ undefined
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Generally neutral. It is a descriptive form, not inherently polite or impolite. Its politeness depends on the context and other forms used in the sentence (e.g., using ます form).
Social Situations: Common in casual conversation about family, friends, or pets. Less common when formally discussing the aspirations of superiors or in very respectful contexts.
Regional Variations: The basic form ~たがる is standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~たい vs. ~たがる
~たい expresses the speaker’s desire. ~たがる expresses a third person’s desire.
When to use: Use ~たい for “I want…”. Use ~たがる for “He/She/They/It wants…”.
~たがる vs. ~てほしい
~たがる means a third person wants something *for themselves* or wants *to do something*. ~てほしい means the *speaker* wants a second or third person to do something *for the speaker’s benefit*.
When to use: Use ~たがる to describe someone else’s own wish (e.g., 彼は帰りたい -> 彼は帰りたがっている – He wants to go home). Use ~てほしい when you want someone else to act (e.g., 私は彼に帰ってほしい – I want him to go home).
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

~たがる conjugates like a regular る-verb: – Present/Future: たがる (plain), たがります (polite) – Negative: たがらない (plain), たがりません (polite) – Past: たがった (plain), たがりました (polite) – て-form: たがって – Conditional (ば-form): たがれば

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounce “ta-ga-ru”. The が (ga) sound is usually a standard voiced stop.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think “たがる for otHers”. The “R” sound might help you remember it’s for people other than “I” (~たい). Visualizing a child looking longingly at a toy can also help connect it to the idea of observable desire.

Practice Exercises
Choose the correct particle: 妹は犬＿＿飼いたがっています。
は
が
を
に
Which sentence correctly uses ~たがる?
私は日本へ行きたがります。
彼は日本へ行きたいです。
彼は日本へ行きたがっています。
猫はご飯を食べたいです。
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