self, I, myself

About this kanji

The kanji 「我」 primarily means "self" or "I" and is often used to express the speaker's identity. It can function as a noun, referring to oneself, but is less commonly used in everyday speech compared to other pronouns. You might encounter it in compounds like "我慢" (がまん), which means "patience," highlighting the ability to endure. Another example is "我が国" (われがくに), meaning "our country," which shows a sense of belonging. Additionally, "我々" (われわれ) translates to "we," often used in formal contexts. Note that while this kanji conveys a deeper philosophical sense of the self, in daily conversation, simpler pronouns like「私」 (わたし) are usually preferred.

Built from

Example sentences

• 我を忘れないでください。

  Please don't forget me.

Meanings across languages

English

self, I, myself

Tiếng Việt

tôi, mình

日本語

私, 自分

한국어

자신, 나는, 내 자신

中文

自己, 我, 我自己

id

diri, saya, diriku

th

ตัวเอง, ฉัน, ตัวฉัน

es

yo, mi, a mí

fr

soi, je, moi

de

Selbst, ich, mich

pt

eu, meu, me

Common compounds

• 我慢がまんpatience, self-control
• 我が国われがくにour country
• 我々われわれwe, us