Illustration: In the hallway of a Japanese home, a child recoils from a small wind-up toy spider that has wandered out from under a shoe cabinet. The child presses against an older sibling, grips their sleeve with both hands, and pulls one foot completely off the floor.

JLPT N3verbLevel estimated by Bebop

怖こわがる

kowagaru

to be afraid of

Often describes another person’s visible fear. Note written by AI.

Example sentences

  1. トムは怖こわがっていた。

    Tom was scared.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  2. 怖こわがらないで、トム！

    Don’t be afraid, Tom.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  3. 彼女かのじょは蛇へびを怖こわがりません。

    She isn’t afraid of snakes.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

Kanji in 怖

  • 怖dreadful; be frightenedOnフ・ホKunこわい・こわがる・おじる

A word like this on every new tab

The Bebop Chrome extension shows one illustrated Japanese word each time you open a new tab in Chrome, with its reading, meaning, kanji and three example sentences. Choose any mix of levels from N5 to beyond N1. It’s free, with no account.

The Bebop new tab showing 音楽, music, over an illustration of a family playing music at home, with three example sentences
Add to Chrome Free on the Chrome Web Store
For Chrome on a computer. See it on the Chrome Web Store