たがる details
write + wants to do
kaki tagaru
(someone else) wants to do; shows signs of wanting to
meaning: seem to want to write
うちの犬、いつも散歩に行きたがるんだよね。
uchi no inu, itsumo sanpo ni iki tagaru n da yo ne.
My dog always seems to want to go on walks. casual
娘は一人で学校に行きたがっています。
musume wa hitori de gakkou ni ikitagatte imasu.
My daughter wants to go to school on her own. neutral
- progressive
- negative
- past
- polite progressive
Examples
someone else wants to do — desire read off outward behavior
うちの犬、いつも散歩に行きたがるんだよね。
uchi no inu, itsumo sanpo ni ikitagaru n da yo ne.
My dog always seems to want to go on walks. casual
娘は一人で学校に行きたがっています。
musume wa hitori de gakkou ni ikitagatte imasu.
My daughter wants to go to school on her own. neutral
彼はしばらく誰にも会いたがらなかった。
kare wa shibaraku dare ni mo aitagaranakatta.
For a while he didn't want to see anyone. neutral
Formation
{V-masu-stem}たがるattaches to ます-stem
Notes
Related patterns
Similar
たがる is がる bolted onto たい's stem — the same externalizing move; plain がる rides emotion adjectives (怖がる・嫌がる), たがる covers wanting-to-act.
Lookalikes
One kana apart in the past (行きたかった／行きたがった), but たい asserts the speaker's own urge while plain third-person desire requires たがる — which also prefers を where たい leans on が.