1st Person Pronouns

Question 1

watashi

Answer 1

formal - both
informal - women

Use by men in casual contexts may be perceived as stiff.

Question 2

watakushi

Answer 2

very formal - both

Question 3

ware

Answer 3

very formal - both (literary)

Used in literary style writing.

(W) Rude second person

Question 4

waga

Answer 4

very formal - both

Means “my” or “our”. Used in speeches and formalities

Question 5

ore

Answer 5

informal - male

Can be seen as rude depending on the context.

It was used also by women until the late Edo period and still is in some dialects. Also in Kyushu dialect.

Question 6

boku

Answer 6

neutral - male (young)

Perceived as humble, also implies ‘feeling young’ used by older males.

Second-person pronoun toward male children (English equivalent – “kid” or “squirt”).

Question 7

Washi

Answer 7

neutral - male (old)

(W) / fictional - used by older male characters

(Kansai) - wai, a slang version

Question 8

jibun

Answer 8

neutral - both

Lit. “oneself”. Carries sense of distance when used as personal pronoun

(Kansai) - Casual second person

Question 9

ore-sama

Answer 9

informal - males

Lit. “I - sama”. (Fiction) very self-important / joking

Question 10

atai

Answer 10

very informal - females

Slang version of あたし atashi

Question 11

atashi

Answer 11

informal - females (young)

Question 12

atakushi

Answer 12

informal - females

Question 13

uchi

Answer 13

Informal - Females

Both genders - plural (uchi-ra), in-household

(Kansai) - more common

Question 14

oira

Answer 14

Informal - males

Like ore > casual. Evokes a rural male, a “country bumpkin”.

Question 15

ora

Answer 15

informal - both

Like oira > casual, evokes a very rural person

(Kanto)

Question 16

Wate

Answer 16

Informal - Both

Also ate (somewhat feminine).

(Kansai), (Dated)

Question 17

shōsei

Answer 17

Formal - Males

Lit. ‘your pupil’, Among academic collegues

Question 18

wagahai

Answer 18

Formal - Male

higher-class men in the past

Question 19

sessha

Answer 19

Formal - Male

Used by Ninja and Samurai

Question 20

formal - both
informal - women

Use by men in casual contexts may be perceived as stiff.

Answer 20

watashi

Question 21

very formal - both

Answer 21

watakushi

Question 22

very formal - both (literary)

Used in literary style writing.

(W) Rude second person

Answer 22

ware

Question 23

very formal - both

Means “my” or “our”. Used in speeches and formalities

Answer 23

waga

Question 24

informal - male

Can be seen as rude depending on the context.

It was used also by women until the late Edo period and still is in some dialects. Also in Kyushu dialect.

Answer 24

ore

Question 25

neutral - male (young)

Perceived as humble, also implies ‘feeling young’ used by older males.

Second-person pronoun toward male children (English equivalent – “kid” or “squirt”).

Answer 25

boku

Question 26

neutral - male (old)

(W) / fictional - used by older male characters

(Kansai) - wai, a slang version

Answer 26

Washi

Question 27

neutral - both

Lit. “oneself”. Carries sense of distance when used as personal pronoun

(Kansai) - Casual second person

Answer 27

jibun

Question 28

informal - males

Lit. “I - sama”. (Fiction) very self-important / joking

Answer 28

ore-sama

Question 29

very informal - females

Slang version of あたし atashi

Answer 29

atai

Question 30

informal - females (young)

Answer 30

atashi

Question 31

informal - females

Answer 31

atakushi

Question 32

Informal - Females

Both genders - plural (uchi-ra), in-household

(Kansai) - more common

Answer 32

uchi

Question 33

Informal - males

Like ore > casual. Evokes a rural male, a “country bumpkin”.

Answer 33

oira

Question 34

informal - both

Like oira > casual, evokes a very rural person

(Kanto)

Answer 34

ora

Question 35

Informal - Both

Also ate (somewhat feminine).

(Kansai), (Dated)

Answer 35

Wate

Question 36

Formal - Males

Lit. ‘your pupil’, Among academic collegues

Answer 36

shōsei

Question 37

Formal - Male

higher-class men in the past

Answer 37

wagahai

Question 38

Formal - Male

Used by Ninja and Samurai

Answer 38

sessha