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How to say 'I' in Japanese | 私

Wondering how to say 'I' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for I is 'Watashi', written as 私 in Japanese.'I' in hiragana is わたし.

    word

    私

    Meaning

    I

    Reading

    わたし

    watashi

    Kanji

    私Private, Me

    Explanation

    The Japanese pronoun '私 (わたし)' is a common way to refer to oneself, equivalent to 'I' in English. It is gender-neutral and widely used in both formal and informal contexts. However, it is more commonly used by women in casual settings, as men might opt for alternatives like '僕 (ぼく)' or '俺 (おれ)' depending on the situation. Example sentences: I am a student「私は学生です」(わたしはがくせいです). I like apples「私はりんごが好きです」(わたしはりんごがすきです). In formal settings, '私' is universally appropriate regardless of gender.

    Part Of Speech

    pronoun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    6

    Frequency

    40

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 私

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    私

    Meaning

    Private, Me

Words Related to 私 Through the Kanji 私

These 5 Words contain the Kanji 私 as well.

  • word

    私たち

    Meaning

    We

  • word

    私鉄

    Meaning

    Private railway

  • word

    私費

    Meaning

    Private expense

  • word

    私的

    Meaning

    Personal

  • word

    私立

    Meaning

    Private

Learn the Word 私

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What does 'Watashi' (私) mean?

'Watashi' means 'I' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.