怖がる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 怖がる (こわがる) adds reaction-marking がる to the fear adjective stem 怖, forming a verb.
• Basic usage: It describes a child, animal, or other subject showing fear through behavior or reaction.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Feeling fear versus showing it
  • 怖い directly states that something is frightening, while 怖がる readily reports another subject's observable fear.