がり
🃏 Flashcard
がり
gari
Tap to reveal usage
personality; tend to~; sensitivity towards~
N4
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N4
Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences
Reading
gari
Post ID
50696
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
personality; tend to~; sensitivity towards~
📖 How to use it
Describes a person's tendency or sensitivity, often forming nouns like 'weak to cold' or 'lonely person'.
Attaches to
Attach to the stem of an adjective (い-adjective without い, な-adjective without な), followed by がり. Example: 寒がり (from 寒い), 寂しがり (from 寂しい), 暑がり (from 暑い).
This pattern turns an adjective into a noun that describes a person who tends to feel or act in that way. It's like saying 'a person who is sensitive to cold' or 'a person who gets lonely easily'. You often see it in words like 寒がり (someone who feels the cold), 暑がり (someone who feels the heat), and 寂しがり (someone who gets lonely). It's more about a personality trait or habit than a temporary state. For example, you might say '彼は寒がりだ' meaning 'he is sensitive to cold' or 'he tends to feel cold'.
うちの猫は寒がりで、冬はいつもストーブのそばにいる。
Uchi no neko wa samugari de, fuyu wa itsumo sutōbu no soba ni iru.
My cat feels the cold, so in winter it's always by the stove.
彼女は寂しがりだから、よく友達に電話している。
Kanojo wa sabishigari da kara, yoku tomodachi ni denwa shite iru.
She gets lonely easily, so she often calls her friends.
Not たがる
たがる attaches to the ます-stem of verbs and shows that a person shows signs of wanting to do something (e.g., 行きたがる 'shows signs of wanting to go'). がり attaches to adjectives and describes a tendency to feel a certain emotion or physical sensation. They are different: がり is for adjectives, たがる is for verbs.
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This is a neutral spoken form, often used in daily conversation to describe someone's character.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
がり
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat がり three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using がり. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N4 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern がり mean?
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Personality; tend to~; sensitivity towards~
What JLPT level is がり?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use がり in a sentence?
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Attach がり (gari) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is がり formal or casual Japanese?
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がり is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember がり long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.