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JLPT N114画 · 14 strokesradical 人freq #1236

me, I (male), servant, manservant

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ボク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • しもべ

Mnemonic

Imagine a humble servant named Boku, who, with his tiny 人 frame, always says, 'I’m just me, your loyal helper!'

About this kanji

The kanji 僕 (ぼく) primarily means 'I' or 'me,' often used by males to refer to themselves in a casual context. It can also mean 'servant' or 'manservant,' reflecting a humble position. Common compounds include 僕ら (ぼくら) and 僕たち (ぼくたち), both meaning 'we,' which are used when speaking casually among friends. Another compound is 公僕 (こうぼく), meaning 'public servant,' indicating someone who works for the government. 僕 is typically more informal; men usually use it when they want to sound friendly or approachable. Note that while it's mainly a male pronoun, some females may use it playfully or in specific contexts.

Example sentences

  • 僕は毎日勉強している。

    I study every day.

Meanings across languages

English
me, I (male), servant, manservant
Tiếng Việt
tôi, mình, người hầu, người phục vụ
日本語
僕, 私(男性), 僕, メイド
한국어
나, 저, 하인, 시종
中文
我, 我(男性), 仆人, 佣人
id
saya, saya (pria), pelayan, batu manservant
th
ฉัน, ผม (ชาย), คนนั้น, คนรับใช้
es
yo, yo (masculino), sirviente, servidor masculino
fr
moi, je (masculin), serviteur, valet
de
ich, ich (männlich), Bediensteter, Diener
pt
eu, eu (masculino), empregado, serviçal

Common compounds

  • 僕らぼくらwe, us
  • 僕たちぼくたちwe
  • 公僕こうぼくpublic servant
  • 下僕げぼくmanservant
  • 家僕かぼくhouseboy, manservant
  • 従僕じゅうぼくmanservant, male attendant, valet
  • 僕婢ぼくひmale and female servants
  • 忠僕ちゅうぼくfaithful servant

Want to actually learn this kanji?

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