Japanese

がる

かわいがる
Meaning: to love; to dote on; to cherish; to treat with affection
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 可愛がる 可愛がらない
Polite 可愛がります 可愛がりません
Past 可愛がった 可愛がらなかった
Polite + Past 可愛がりました 可愛がりませんでした
Te-form 可愛がって 可愛がらなくて
Potential 可愛がれる 可愛がれない
Passive 可愛がられる 可愛がられない
Causative 可愛がらせる 可愛がらせない
Causative + Passive 可愛がらされる 可愛がらされない
Imperative 可愛がれ 可愛がるな

Handwriting

可
愛
が
る

Example sentences

She dotes on her pet cat very much.
彼は掌中の玉のように娘を可愛がっている。
He treasures his daughter as the apple of his eye.
彼は家族の末っ子で、みんなに可愛がられています。
He is the youngest child in the family and is loved by everyone.

Usage Notes

Used to express deep affection and care, often towards children or pets. Can also be used ironically to mean 'to give a hard time'.

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