Shopping Guide
Hungry for more knowledge, more TOM points, and more games? Wait no longer - it’s time to learn about the many different ways to say “I” in Japanese! There are simply too many, so we have selected some common ones and historical ones just for you. Test your understanding with the matching game at the end and stand to win TOM points! Good luck and have fun!
Modern Ways of Saying “I”
Here are some common ways of saying “I” in Japanese that are in use today.
Gender Neutral:
**Watashi** - The “go-to” for “I.” Applicable in almost any situation, except for one instance. Watashi is commonly used by women and girls when talking to each other.
**Watakushi** - Used by people who are of high social standing, in corporate settings, and when meeting a member of another company.
**Uchi** - Completely gender neutral. Great substitute for “watashi.”
**Oira** - Used by guys and girls to try and act cute.
**Ware/Wareware** - Used in formal or business settings. Often used to refer to “we” as part of a corporation.
Feminine:
**Atashi** - Very similar to watashi and has a cute femininity.
**Atakushi** - The arrogant form of “atashi.”
**Personal Name** - A childish way to say “I,” used by children and sometimes young women.
Masculine:
**Boku** - Used by men and boys in almost any situation.
**Jibun** - Frequently used by athletic males.
**Ore** - Mostly used by younger guys to show a rough/cool image.
**Washi** - Used by elderly males.
“I” in History
Here are some ways of saying “I” that you might find familiar from historical anime and dramas.
Nara Period (710-794 AD):
**Asshi** - Used by both men and women who were commoners.
**Midomo** - Used by the warrior class towards people of equal or inferior class.
**Konata** - Used by women who were part of warrior or noble families.
**Wa** - Rarely used in spoken Japanese today but still used in writing.
**Yatsugare** - Originally used by both women and men to show humility, in modern times mostly used by men.
Heian Period (794-1185 AD):
**Yo** - Used during Heian period by lords, sovereign and monarchs.
**Warawa** - Used by women who are from samurai families to show humility and modesty.
**Sessha** - Primarily used by samurai to show modesty.
Middle Ages (1154-1485 AD)
**Wagahai** - Used in older times, sounds arrogant. Found in a famous Japanese literary work, 我輩は猫である (I Am a Cat).
**Soregashi** - Used from the middle ages to show modesty. Mostly used by men.
**Gusei** - Used by men in written letters. Shows a certain kind of humility and modesty.
Now that you have learned it all, play the game and stand to be one of the three lucky winners this week to get $5 in TOM Points! Simply pick an “I” that would be used for each scenario. Fill in the form here: t-otaku-m.com/1mg8Bar
Scenarios:
1) I’m a manly man! I use this word to show how manly I am!
2) Young people don’t use this form, but I’m an old man, so I can use it.
3) I’ve been told that I’m a cute woman, so I use this word.
4) When I don’t know what form of “I” to use, my “go-to” is this word.
5) I’m a woman from a noble family in feudal Japan. I use this word to say “I.”
6) I’m a writer, and when I need to say “I” to my readers, I use this word. It is sometimes spoken.
7) I’m a commoner in feudal Japan. This is how I say “I.”
8) I am the daughter of a samurai. When trying to sound humble, I use this form of “I.”
9) I am a samurai. This is the form of “I” I use when talking to my lord.
10) I am a child and am trying to act cute. This is the word I choose for “I.”
11) I am a monarch from the Heian period. I use this word to say “I.”
This is a TOM Summer Ninja Academy 2014 original article.
