たがる
🃏 Flashcard
たがる
tagaru
Tap to reveal usage
wants to do~ (third person)
N4
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N4
Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences
Reading
tagaru
Post ID
50767
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
wants to do~ (third person)
📖 How to use it
Expresses that someone else wants to do something, based on observable signs.
Attaches to
Attach to the ます-stem of a verb (the form used before ます). For example, 食べる -> 食べたがる, 行く -> 行きたがる.
Use たがる when you are talking about another person's desire or wish. You are not saying what they feel inside, but what they show through their behavior or words. So you can say '彼は行きたがっています' (He shows he wants to go) but you cannot use it for yourself directly, because you know your own feelings without showing them. To express your own wish, use 〜たいです instead.
たがる is a verb, so it conjugates like a regular godan verb. In the present tense, it often appears as たがっている to describe a current state. It is common in everyday conversation when talking about other people's preferences or intentions.
子供は遊びたがっています。
Kodomo wa asobitagatte imasu.
The child wants to play.
妹は新しい電話を買いたがっています。
Imōto wa atarashī denwa o kaitagatte imasu.
My younger sister wants to buy a new phone.
友達は日本へ行きたがっています。
Tomodachi wa Nihon e ikitagatte imasu.
My friend wants to go to Japan.
Not 〜たい
〜たい is used for the speaker's own desire (first person) or sometimes for questions to the listener. たがる is used to talk about a third person's desire based on external evidence. For yourself, say 〜たい; for others, say たがる.
Register
Neutral, common in both spoken and written Japanese, but more often used in conversation when observing another person's behavior.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
たがる
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat たがる 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 たがる. 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 たがる mean?
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Wants to do~ (third person)
What JLPT level is たがる?
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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 たがる in a sentence?
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Attach たがる (tagaru) 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 たがる formal or casual Japanese?
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たがる is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember たがる 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.