Japanese Pronouns
I and you in Japanese: when to leave pronouns out, and how to choose between わたし, ぼく, おれ and あなた.
- Safe word for I
- わたし (watashi)
- Safe way to say you
- Name + さん
- Plural
- Add たち (tachi)
- Most common choice
- Leave it out
Leave them out first
Japanese drops I and you whenever the context makes them clear. おなかがすきました (onaka ga sukimashita), I'm hungry, needs no わたしは.
Adding a pronoun to every sentence sounds stiff, or as if you are stressing the person.
Words for I
わたし (watashi): neutral and polite, used by everyone. The safe default.
わたくし (watakushi): very formal, for speeches and business.
ぼく (boku): used mostly by boys and men; casual to neutral, softer than おれ.
おれ (ore): casual and rough, used mostly by men with friends. Avoid it in polite situations.
あたし (atashi): casual, used mostly by women.
Words for you
あなた (anata) exists, but people rarely use it with someone they know. It can sound distant, and between couples it can mean "dear."
Use the person's name + さん instead: たなかさんはどこにすんでいますか (Tanaka-san wa doko ni sunde imasu ka), where do you live, Mr. Tanaka? It literally says "Where does Tanaka-san live?"
For a teacher or a boss, use their title: せんせい (sensei), not あなた.
きみ (kimi) is used by some men to equals or juniors, and in songs. おまえ (omae) is rough; avoid it.
He, she and they
かれ (kare) means he and かのじょ (kanojo) means she, but they also mean boyfriend and girlfriend. People often use the name or あのひと (ano hito, that person) instead.
かれら (karera) means they.
We and you all
Add たち (tachi) for the plural: わたしたち (watashitachi), we; あなたたち (anatatachi), you all.
ぼくら (bokura) and おれら (orera) are casual forms.
Related reading
- Why Japanese leaves out I and you
- Introducing yourself in Japanese
- Japanese sentence structure
- Keigo: Japanese politeness
- Japanese family words
- Japanese grammar overview
Common questions
Can women use boku?+
Some do, especially young speakers and characters in fiction, but it stands out. わたし is never wrong.
Is anata rude?+
Not rude, but distant. On forms, signs and in ads it simply means you in general.
Which pronouns should I learn first?+
わたし for yourself, and the other person's name + さん for them.
Why does Japanese have so many words for I?+
Each one also shows how formal you are being and, often, your gender and age. The choice says something about you, so pick the one that matches the situation.
