Hiragan Kanj Level of

Romaji Gender Notes

a i speech

– I/me –

In formal or polite contexts,

this is gender neutral; in
casual speech, it is typically
watashi わたし 私 formal/informal both only used by women. Use by
men in casual context may be
perceived as either stiff or
feminine.

わたく The most formal personal

watakushi 私 very formal both
し pronoun.[7][better source needed]

Used in literary style. Also

我,
ware われ very formal both used as rude second person
吾 in western dialects.

Means "my" or "our". Used in

speeches and formalities; 我が
waga わが 我が very formal both 社 waga-sha (our company) or
我が国 waga-kuni (our
country).

Frequently used by
men.[8] Establishes a sense of
masculinity. Can be seen as
rude depending on the
context. Emphasizes one's
own status when used with
peers and with those who are
ore おれ 俺 informal males
younger or of lesser status.
Among close friends or family,
its use conveys familiarity
rather than masculinity or
superiority. It was used by
both genders until the late Edo
period and still is in some
dialects. Also oiin Kyushu
 dialect.

Used by males of all ages;

very often used by boys.
Perceived as humble, but can
also carry an undertone of
"feeling young" when used by
males of older age. Also used
when casually giving
deference; "servant" uses the
boku ぼく 僕 formal/informal males same kanji (僕 shimobe). Can
also be used as a second-
person pronoun toward male
children (English equivalent –
"kid" or "squirt"). Is also
increasingly used by young
women in casual speech,
though such usage is
proscribed.

Often used in western dialects

and fictional settings to
mainly stereotypically represent
washi わし 儂 formal/informal
males characters of old age.
Also wai, a slang version
of washi in the Kansai dialect.

Literally "oneself"; used as

either reflexive or personal
pronoun. Can convey a sense
mainly
jibun じぶん 自分 formal/informal of distance when used in the
males
latter way. Also used as
casual second person
pronoun in the Kansai dialect.

Slang version of あた
atai あたい very informal females
し atashi.[7]

A feminine pronoun that

females,
strains from わたし
rarely
("watashi"). Rarely used in
atashi あたし informal males
(Edo written language, but common
dialect) in conversation, especially
among younger women.
 あたく
atakushi informal females
し

Means "one's own". Often

used in western dialects
especially the Kansai dialect.
Generally written in kana.
Plural form uchi-ra is used by
both genders. Singular form is
also used by both sexes when
家, mostly talking about the household,
uchi うち informal
内 females e.g., "uchi no neko" ("my/our
cat"), "uchi no chichi-oya" ("my
father"); also used in less
formal business speech to
mean "our company", e.g.,
"uchi wa sandai no rekkāsha
ga aru" ("we (our company)
have three tow-trucks").

Used by small children and

(own name) informal both young women, considered
cute and childish.

Similar to 俺 ore, but more

casual. Evokes a person with
oira おいら informal males
a rural background, a "country
bumpkin".

Dialect in Kanto and further

north. Similar to おいら oira,
but more rural. Famous as
ora おら informal both used by main characters
in Dragon Ball and Crayon
Shin-chan among children.
Also ura in some dialects.

Dated Kansai dialect.

wate わて informal both
Also ate (somewhat feminine).

Used among academic

shōsei 小生 formal, written males
しょう colleagues. Lit. "your pupil".[9]
 せい

– you (singular) –

formality
(name depends on
both
and honorific) the honorific
used

The kanji are very rarely used.

The only second person
pronoun comparable to
English "you", yet still not used
as often in this universal way
by native speakers, as it can
be considered having a
condescending undertone,
especially towards
superiors.[3][8][better source needed] For
expressing "you" in formal
貴方, contexts, using the person's
name with an honorific is more
anata あなた 貴男, formal/informal both
typical. More
貴女 commonly, anata may be used
when having no information
about the addressed person;
also often used as "you" in
commercials, when not
referring to a particular
person. Furthermore,
commonly used by women to
address their husband or
lover, in a way roughly
equivalent to the English
"dear".

Contraction of あな
た anata.[7] Can express
anta あんた informal both contempt, anger or familiarity
towards a person. Generally
seen as rude or uneducated
when used in formal contexts.
 A polite way of saying "your
house", also used as a
pronoun to address a person
with slight sense of
お宅, distance. Otaku/otakki/ota turn
otaku おたく formal, polite both
御宅 ed into a slang term referring
to a type of geek/obsessive
hobbyist, as they often
addressed each other
as otaku.

Similar to anta, but used by

men with more
frequency.[8]Expresses the
speaker's higher status or
age, or a very casual
both relationship among peers.
omae おまえ お前 very informal (masculin
Often used with お
e)
れ ore.[8] Very rude if said to
elders. Commonly used by
men to address their wife or
lover, paralleling the female
use of "anata".

Literal meaning "the one in

front of my hand". Temee, a
reduction of temae, is more
rude. Used when the speaker
is very angry. Originally used
てめえ, rude and mainly for a humble first person. The
temee, temae 手前 confrontational males Kanji are seldom used with
てまえ [7]
this meaning, as unrelated to
its use as a pronoun, 手前 can
also mean "before", "this
side", "one's standpoint" or
"one's appearance".

Historically very formal, but

extremely has developed in an ironic
mainly
kisama きさま 貴様 hostile and sense to show the speaker's
males
rude extreme hostility / outrage
towards the addressee.

The kanji means "lord"

kimi きみ 君 informal both
(archaic) and is also used to
write -kun.[10] Informal to
 subordinates; can also be
affectionate; formerly very
polite. Among peers typically
used with 僕 boku.[8] Often
seen as rude or assuming
when used with superiors,
elders or strangers.[8]

informal, to a
kika きか 貴下 younger both
person

very formal,
used to
address
kikan きかん 貴官 government both
officials,
military
personnel, etc.

formal, used to
おんし the listener
on-sha 御社 both only used in spoken language.
ゃ representing
your company

formal, similar only used in written language

ki-sha きしゃ 貴社 both
to onsha as opposed to onsha

– he / she –

あのか あの Sometimes pronounced ano

ano kata very formal both
た 方 hou, but with the same kanji.

あのひ あの
ano hito formal/informal both Literally "that person".
と 人

A thing (very informal), dude,

yatsu やつ 奴 informal both
guy.
 Denotes a person or material
very informal,
koitsu, koyats こいつ, nearby the speaker.
此奴 implies both
u こやつ contempt
Analogous to "he/she" or "this
one".

very informal, Denotes a person or material

soitsu, soyats そいつ,
其奴 implies both nearby the listener. Analogous
u そやつ contempt to "he/she" or "that one".

Denotes a person or (less

very informal, frequently) material far from
あいつ,
aitsu, ayatsu 彼奴 implies both both the speaker and the
あやつ contempt listener. Analogous to "he/she"
or "that one".

– he –

formal Can also mean "boyfriend".

(neutral) and Formerly 彼氏 kareshi was its
kare かれ 彼 both
informal equivalent, but this now
(boyfriend) always means "boyfriend".

– she –

Originally created from 彼の

formal 女 kano on'na "that female" as
かのじ (neutral) and an equivalent to female
kanojo 彼女 both
ょ informal pronouns in European
(girlfriend) languages. Can also mean
"girlfriend".[11]

– we (see also list of pluralising suffixes, below) –

Mostly used when speaking

われわ
ware-ware 我々 formal both on behalf of a company or
れ group.
 Used in literary style. ware is
ware-ra われら 我等 informal both
never used with -tachi.

Used when representing one's

own company. From a Sino-
へいし formal and
hei-sha 弊社 both Japanese word meaning "low
ゃ humble
company" or "humble
company".

わがし 我が Used when representing one's

waga-sha formal both
ゃ 社 own company.

– they (see also list of pluralising suffixes, below) –

common in
spoken
kare-ra かれら 彼等 both
Japanese and
writing

Archaic personal pronouns[edit]

Level
Romaji Hiragana Kanji Meaning of Gender Notes
speech

Slang version of watashi.

asshi あっし 私 I males
From the Edo period.

Humble male pronoun;

possibly derived from 仏滅,
messha めっしゃ 滅者 I males
a term used in traditional
calendars

Used by samurai during

the feudal ages (and often
sessha せっしゃ 拙者 I males also by ninja in
fictionalized portrayals).
From a Sino-Japanese
word meaning "one who is
 clumsy".

Literally "my fellows; my

class; my cohort", but used
我が輩, 吾
wagahai わがはい I males in a somewhat pompous
輩 manner as a first-person
singular pronoun.

Literally "So-and-so", a
soregashi それがし 某 I males nameless expression.
Similar to sessha.

Literally "child". Mainly

used by women in samurai
family. Today, it is used in
warawa わらわ 妾 I females
fictional settings to
represent archaic noble
female characters.

Used
by geisha and oiran in Edo
wachiki わちき I females period. Also あち
き achiki and わっ
ち watchi.

Archaic first-person
yo よ 余, 予 I males
singular pronoun.

Used only by the emperor,

chin ちん 朕 I males mostly before World War
II.

Used as a universal first-

person pronoun in ancient
times. Today, it is used in
maro まろ 麻呂, 麿 I males
fictional settings to
represent Court noble
male characters.

onore おのれ 己 I or you males The word onore, as well as

the kanji used to transcribe
 it, literally means "oneself".
It is humble when used as
a first person pronoun and
hostile (on the level of てめ
え temee or てまえ temae)
when used as a second
person pronoun.

Spelled as なむ
汝, less you, often ち namuchi in the most
nanji なんじ commonly translated both ancient texts and later as
also 爾 as "thou" なんち nanchi or なん
ぢ nanji.

Used by elders and

samurai to talk to people of
onushi おぬし 御主, お主 you both equal or lower rank, as
well as by fictional ninja.
Literally means "master".

Originally a mesial deictic

pronoun meaning "that
side; that way; that
direction"; used as a lightly
其方
respectful second person
sonata そなた (rarely thou both
pronoun in previous eras,
used) but now used when
speaking to an inferior in a
pompous and old-
fashioned tone.

Similar to そなた sonata.

Literally means "that way".
(Sochira and kochira,
sometimes shortened
to sochi and kochi, are still
sometimes used to mean
其方
roughly "you" and "I, we",
sochi そち (rarely thou both
e.g. kochira koso in
used)
response to thanks or an
apology means literally
"this side is the one" but
idiomatically "no, I (or we)
thank/apologize to you";
especially common on the
telephone, analogous to
phrases like "on this end"
and "on your end" in
English.)