other N4 common casualpolitewritten
〜がする — a sound / smell / taste / feeling occurs
〜がする ・ がする
Builds on が
Meaning
- (a sound / smell / taste / sensation) ~ is there — used with sensory nouns to report that a perception is present
Key sentence
台所からいい匂いがする。
A nice smell is coming from the kitchen.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A sensory noun (音, におい, 味, 感じ, 寒気, 吐き気) | N + がする | 音がする / 味がする |
Examples
外で大きな音がした。
There was a loud noise outside.
このスープは少し辛い味がする。
This soup tastes a little spicy.
When you can't use it
- Limited to non-visual sensations — sound, smell, taste, touch, and bodily feelings. You can't use it for things you see; sight uses 見える, not 〜がする.
Easily confused with
See 〜がする in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜がする the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar. Editorial confidence: medium.