Translated examples
子どもは外で遊びたがっています。
The child wants to play outside.
妹は新しい服をほしがっています。
My younger sister wants new clothes.
彼はその話を聞きたがっています。
He wants to hear that story.
学生たちは早く帰りたがっています。
The students want to go home early.
Meaning
〜たがる means that someone seems to want to do an action. 〜ほしがる means that someone seems to want a thing.
Formation
For actions, attach たがる to the verb stem, such as 行きたがる or 食べたがる. For things, use noun + をほしがる, such as おもちゃをほしがる.
Usage
Use these patterns when describing another person's visible desire, especially when you know it from their behavior or repeated words. They are common for children, friends, family, and general observations.
Nuance
These patterns sound more objective than directly saying another person's inner feeling with 〜たい or 〜がほしい. They often suggest that the desire is noticeable.
Comparison
Use 〜たい and 〜がほしい mainly for your own desire. Use 〜たがる and 〜ほしがる when describing someone else's desire from the outside.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 〜たがる for yourself, such as 私は行きたがっています. For your own desire, use 行きたいです. Another mistake is using が with ほしがる; the common form is noun + をほしがる.
Related Grammar
Japanese Tai Form: Wants, Negatives, Past Forms, and Practice
Form たい from the ます-stem, change its tense and negative, compare ほしい, and practise six explained questions.
〜がほしい
〜がほしい (ga hoshii) means that you want something. It is used for nouns, not for actions.
〜てほしい
〜てほしい (te hoshii) is used when you want someone else to do something. It expresses your wish about another person's action.