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What is the Kanji for 'Self' and 'Ego'? | 我

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Self' and 'Ego', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Self' and 'Ego' is 我.

    kanji

    我

    Meaning

    Self, Ego

    Reading

    kunyomiわ

    wa

    われ

    ware

    onyomiが

    ga

    Parts

    手Hand 戈

    Example Word

    我: I or we. The Japanese pronoun '我 (われ)' is a formal or literary way to refer to oneself or a group. It can mean 'I' or 'we' depending on the context. This pronoun is often used in written language, speeches, or formal settings, and it carries a somewhat archaic or solemn tone. It is less commonly used in everyday conversation, where '私 (わたし)' or '僕 (ぼく)' are more typical for 'I', and '私たち (わたしたち)' for 'we'. Example sentences: I will never forget this「我はこれを忘れない」(われはこれをわすれない). We must protect our homeland「我らは祖国を守らねばならない」(われらはそこくをまもらねばならない). Note that '我' can also appear in compound words like '我々 (われわれ)', which explicitly means 'we'.

    Radical

    戈

    Stroke Count

    7

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    6

    Frequency

    182

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 我

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    手

    Meaning

    Hand

    component

    戈

我 As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of 2 other kanji:

    kanji

    義

    Meaning

    Righteousness

    kanji

    餓

    Meaning

    Starve

Words Using 我

This kanji is used in 8 words:

    word

    我々

    Meaning

    We

    word

    我が

    Meaning

    My

    word

    我

    Meaning

    I, We

    word

    怪我

    Meaning

    Injury

    word

    我慢

    Meaning

    Endure, Patience

    word

    我が家

    Meaning

    Home

    word

    自我

    Meaning

    Ego

    word

    我が国

    Meaning

    Our country

Kanji Related to 我 Through the Part 手

These 8 kanji contain the part 手 as well.

    kanji

    承

    Meaning

    Consent

    kanji

    挙

    Meaning

    Raise

    kanji

    看

    Meaning

    Watch

    kanji

    撃

    Meaning

    Beat, Strike

    kanji

    摩

    Meaning

    Rub, Chafe

    kanji

    掌

    Meaning

    Palm, Manipulate

    kanji

    拳

    Meaning

    Fist

    kanji

    摯

    Meaning

    Gift, Seriousness

Kanji Related to 我 Through the Part 戈

These 7 kanji contain the part 戈 as well.

    kanji

    戦

    Meaning

    Fight, War

    kanji

    幾

    Meaning

    Some, How many

    kanji

    歳

    Meaning

    Year, Years old

    kanji

    伐

    Meaning

    Fell, Cut down

    kanji

    戒

    Meaning

    Admonish, Commandment

    kanji

    戯

    Meaning

    Play, Frolic

    kanji

    畿

    Meaning

    Capital, Suburbs of capital

Learn the Kanji 我

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 我 mean?

我 means 'Self' and 'Ego'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Sixth Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N1 exam.

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