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がする (ga suru) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Feel Like

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article 'がする (ga suru) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Feel Like'

Anna Baffa Volpe

The expression がする (ga suru) means feels like, tastes like, smells like.

It concerns the area of the sensory perceptions mainly through the sense of hearing, taste and smell.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of がする, how it is formed and when がする is used through real example sentences.


How and when to use がする

がする is used to describe the perceptions related to the sensory organs and can be:

  • 音(おと) a sound,
  • 声(こえ) a voice,
  • 味(あじ) a taste,
  • 匂(にお)い a smell,
  • 香(かお)り a scent and
  • also generally a sensation 感(かん)じ.

In Japanese, it is used one single form with the verb する; in many other languages the translation changes according to the sensation and the organ to which it refers.

  • Tastes like...
  • Smells like...
  • Feels like etc.

そとから変(へん)な音(おと)がします。

There's a strange sound coming from outside.

Sense, sensation, feeling are espressed in Japanese with the word 感(かん)覚(かく) kankaku

How がする is formed

The expression is very commonly used and consists of:

  • the Noun which represents the element describing the sense: voice, sound, smell, scent, taste
  • the particle が which indicates the subject of the sentence
  • the verb する do in its polite form します
Noun+が+する

夢(ゆめ)のような感(かん)じがします。

I feel like I'm in a dream.

甘(あま)い味(あじ)がする。

It tastes sweet.

The verb する is used in the plain form, in the polite form and in the various verb tenses:

  • がします / がしました
  • がしません / がしませんでした
  • がする / がした
  • がしない / がしなかった

この牛(ぎゅう)肉(にく)はニンニクの味(あじ)がした。

This beef tasted of garlic.

このお菓(か)子(し)はフルーツの味(あじ)がしない。

This sweat doesn’t taste of fruit.

Examples of がする

キッチンから、カレーのいい匂(にお)いします。

A nice smell of curry comes from the kitchen.

In colloquial speech the particle が is often omitted.

2階(かい)から子(こ)供(ども)の声(こえ)がします。

I hear a child's voice from the second floor.

このお店(みせ)はバラのいい香(か)りがします。

This shop is fragrant with the smell of roses.