Stroke order
私 わたし (Kangxi radical 115, 禾 +2, 7 strokes, cangjie input 竹 たけ 木 き 戈 ほこ (HDI ), four-corner 22930 , composition ⿰禾 厶 )
Kangxi Dictionary: page 849 , character 5
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 24913
Dae Jaweon: page 1271, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2589, character 6
Unihan data for U+79C1
Old Chinese
私 わたし
*sil
厶
*sil
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 けいせい / 形声 けいせい , OC *sil ) : semantic 禾 ( “ grain ” ) + phonetic 厶 ( OC *sil) – private grain or field.
Displaced the original form 厶 .
Note :
sai - vernacular;
sir/su - literary.
Note :
se1 - literary;
sai1 - vernacular.
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
私 わたし
Reading #
1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
sī
Middle Chinese
‹ sij ›
Old Chinese
/*[s]əj/
English
private
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character
私 わたし
Reading #
1/1
No.
11949
Phonetic component
厶
Rime group
脂 あぶら
Rime subdivision
1
Corresponding MC rime
私 わたし
Old Chinese
/*sil/
私 わたし
self ; personal ; private
私 わたし 人 ひと ― sī rén ― personal
私 わたし 有 ゆう ― sī yǒu ― private
selfish
自 じ 私 わたし ― zìsī ― selfish
(Can we add an example for this sense?) ( Classical , humble ) first-person singular pronoun : I ; me
illegal or secret goods
走 はし 私 わたし ― zǒusī ― to smuggle
stealthily ; secretly
私 わたし 语 ― sī yǔ ― to whisper
( obsolete ) Used by women to refer to their sister's husband
reproductive organs ; genitals
( Internet slang ) Short for 私 わたし 聊 (sīliáo , “to PM , to DM ”).
私 わたし
(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji )
Shift from watakushi below.[1] [2]
This reading was already prevalent in early modern times, possibly around the mid-late Muromachi to early-Edo period .
私 わたし ( わたし ) • (watashi )
( polite ) first-person singular pronoun : I , me
私 わたし ( わたし ) はイギリス人 ひと ( じん ) です。Watashi wa Igirisu-jin desu.I am British.
Watashi is the usual polite term for referring to oneself.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:私 わたし .
Japanese first-person pronouns
Japanese first-person pronouns by speakers and situations according to Yuko Saegusa, Concerning the First Personal Pronoun of Native Japanese Speakers (2009)
First-person pronouns by elementary school pupils (2008)
Speaker
Situation
1
2
3
Female
To friends
うち 49%
First name 26%
あたし 15%
In the family
First name 33%
あたし 29%
うち 23%
In a class
わたし 86%
あたし 7%
うち 6%
To an unknown visitor
わたし 75%
あたし , first name, うち 8% each
To the class teacher
わたし 66%
First name 13%
あたし 9%
Male
To friends
おれ 72%
ぼく 19%
First name 4%
In the family
おれ 62%
ぼく 23%
うち 6%
In a class
ぼく 85%
おれ 13%
First name, nickname 1% each
To an unknown visitor
ぼく 64%
おれ 26%
First name 4%
To the class teacher
ぼく 67%
おれ 27%
First name 3%
First-person pronouns by university students (2009)
Speaker
Situation
1
2
3
Female
To friends
うち 39%
あたし 30%
わたし 22%
In the family
あたし 28%
First name 27%
うち 18%
In a class
わたし 89%
あたし 7%
自分 じぶん 3%
To an unknown visitor
わたし 81%
あたし 10%
自分 じぶん 6%
To the class teacher
わたし 77%
あたし 17%
自分 じぶん 7%
Male
To friends
おれ 87%
うち 4%
わたし , 自分 じぶん 2% each
In the family
おれ 88%
ぼく , 自分 じぶん 5% each
In a class
わたし 48%
自分 じぶん 28%
ぼく 22%
To an unknown visitor
ぼく 36%
自分 じぶん 29%
わたし 22%
To the class teacher
自分 じぶん 38%
ぼく 29%
わたし 22%
From Old Japanese 私 わたし ( watakusi ) .
A surface analysis suggests a compound term. However, no likely etyma are known.
From first-person pronoun 我 わが ( wa , “ I , me ” ) + takusi : although the first element seems likely, the original meaning of watakushi was “private ”, as opposed to “public ”, with no first-person pronoun usage until the late 13th century.
From wata + kusi : the only phonetic matches are 綿 めん ( wata , “ cotton ; cotton batting ” ) , 腸 ちょう ( wata , “ guts , one's innards ” , likely derived from the “batting” sense ) , 海 うみ ( wata , “ sea , ocean ” ) + 串 くし ( kusi , “ skewer ” ) , 奇 き し ( kusi , “ magic , fantastic , supernatural ” , adjective ) , 酒 さけ ( kusi , “ alcoholic beverage ” , likely derived from the “magic” sense ) , 櫛 くし ( kusi , “ comb ” ) .
From wataku + si : no such word wataku appears to exist.
From wa + ta + ku + si : unknown.
The meaning evolved over time from “private ” or “privatization ”, to refer to things that are personal , to refer to one's own person , and then finally to serve as a generic first-person pronoun. The full form watakushi is still used in modern Japanese as a formal, highly polite first-person pronoun. The abbreviated form watashi is now the most common and neutrally polite first-person pronoun.
私 わたし ( わたくし ) • (watakushi )
a personal or private matter
( by extension ) selfishness
Synonyms: 自分勝手 じぶんがって ( jibun katte ) , 私利 しり 私欲 しよく ( shiri shiyoku )
Derived terms
私 わたし ( わたくし ) する ( watakushisuru )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 商 しょう ( あきな ) い ( watakushi akinai )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 雨 あめ ( あめ ) ( watakushi ame , “ sudden rain shower falling in just a small area” )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 戦 せん ( いくさ ) , 私 わたし ( わたくし ) 軍 ぐん ( いくさ ) ( watakushi ikusa , “ private feud ” )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 銀 ぎん ( がね ) , 私 わたし ( わたくし ) 金 きむ ( がね ) ( watakushigane , “ personal money, secret savings , financial nest egg ” )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 事 こと ( ごと ) ( watakushigoto )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 戦 せん ( たたか ) い ( watakushi tatakai , “ private feud ” )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) 戯 おどけ ( たわぶ ) れ ( watakushi tawabure , “ chatting up a go-between or mediator , as an aside to the main issue being mediated” )
私 わたし ( わたくし ) • (watakushi )
( formal ) first-person singular pronoun : I , me
Watakushi is the formal term, only used in certain circumstances, such as by TV announcers or public figures such as politicians. Conversely, it is too formal for casual conversation for men, where terms like 俺 おれ ( ore ) are preferred.
/si/ → /ɕi/
From Middle Chinese 私 わたし (MC sij ).
私 わたし ( し ) • (shi )
personal , private
secret
Derived terms
私 わたし ( し ) 愛 あい ( あい ) ( shiai , “ favoritism , partiality ; a secret love for a woman; the woman so loved” )
私 わたし ( し ) 安 やす ( あん ) 警( けい ) 察( さつ ) ( shian-keisatsu , “ private police ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 案 あん ( あん ) ( shian , “ private plan or proposal ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 意 い ( い ) ( shī , “ personal opinion ; bias ; selfishness ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 印 しるし ( いん ) ( shīn , “ private sigil , signet , stamp , or seal ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 印 しるし ( いん ) 偽 にせ ( ぎ ) 造 みやつこ ( ぞう ) ( shīngizō , “ creating a copy of someone else's sigil to forge their stamp ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 営( えい ) ( shiei , “ private operation , privately operated ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 営( えい ) 鉄 てつ ( てつ ) 道 みち ( どう ) ( shiei tetsudō , “ privately-operated railway , private rails ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 営( えい ) 田 た ( でん ) ( shieiden ) : in the Heian Period, fields used for large-scale private farming by powerful clans, rather than public farming by the state
私 わたし ( し ) 益 えき ( えき ) ( shieki , “ private or individual profit or gain ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 謁( えつ ) ( shietsu , “ audience with the emperor regarding a private matter ; a private rather than public request” )
私 わたし ( し ) 怨( えん ) ( shien , “ private grudge , hatred , ill will ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 恩 おん ( おん ) ( shion , “ favor or duty owed to an individual” )
私 わたし ( し ) 家 いえ ( か ) ( shika , “ one's own home; an individual's home, as opposed to the palace or an office ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 家 いえ ( か ) 集 しゅう ( しゅう ) ( shikashū ) : in the Edo Period and earlier, an individual's collection or anthology of poetry
私 わたし ( し ) 家 いえ ( か ) 版 はん ( ばん ) ( shikaban , “ self-publishing , generally without profit motive and with limited distribution ; private printing or private edition ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 学 がく ( がく ) ( shigaku , “ individual's school of thought ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 学 がく ( がっ ) 校 こう ( こう ) ( shigakkō , “ private school ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 学 がく ( がく ) 助 すけ ( じょ ) 成 なり ( せい ) ( shigaku josei , “ government subsidization of private education ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 感 かん ( かん ) ( shikan , “ one's personal feeling about something ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 間 あいだ ( かん ) 法 ほう ( ほう ) ( shikanhō , “ conflict of laws; private international law ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 企 くわだて ( き ) 業 ごう ( ぎょう ) ( shikigyō , “ private enterprise ; privately-owned company” )
私 わたし ( し ) 記 き ( き ) ( shiki , “ private record of something ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 擬 なずらえ ( ぎ ) -憲 けん ( けん ) 法 ほう ( ぽう ) ( shigikenpō , “ privately drafted constitution ” , more specifically the Japanese constitution created during 1880-1887 )
私 わたし ( し ) 義 よし ( ぎ ) 務 つとむ ( む ) ( shi gimu , “ duty or obligation arising from private law ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 議 ぎ ( ぎ ) ( shigi , “ secret criticism , badmouthing ; personal or private opinion” )
私 わたし ( し ) 教 きょう ( きょう ) 類 るい ( るい ) 聚( じゅう ) ( shikyō-ruijū , Japan's oldest collection of moral instructions, written by Kibi Makibi in the 700s )
私 わたし ( し ) 業 ごう ( ぎょう ) ( shigyō , “ work done as an individual; work done for individual profit ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 曲 きょく ( きょく ) ( shikyoku , “ unjust act committed solely to benefit oneself” )
私 わたし ( し ) 金 きむ ( きん ) ( shikin , “ private money ; money owned by an individual ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 刑 けい ( けい ) ( shikei , “ punishment meted out by vigilante or mob justice ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 恵 めぐみ ( けい ) ( shikei , “ private favor ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 経 けい ( けい ) 済 すみ ( ざい ) ( shikeizai , “ private economy : economic dealings between private individuals or companies ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 計 けい ( けい ) ( shikei , “ one's own thoughts and opinions ; one's own schemes or plans ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 隙 すき ( げき ) ( shigeki , “ private discord ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 権 けん ( けん ) ( shiken , “ private or personal rights ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 見 み ( けん ) ( shiken , humble word for “one's own personal opinions ”)
私 わたし ( し ) 語 かたり ( ご ) ( shigo , “ whisper , whispering , private conversation ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 交( こう ) ( shikō , “ personal or private friendship or socializing ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 考 こう ( こう ) ( shikō , “ one's own personal thoughts ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 行 くだり ( こう ) ( shikō , “ private actions in one's own life; secret act; going out for personal reasons; sneaking out ” )
私 わたし ( し ) 田 た ( でん ) ( shiden )
私 わたし ( し ) 稲 いね ( とう ) ( shitō ) : in the Nara and Heian periods, rice plants owned by an individual rather than by the state
私 わたし ( し ) 法 ほう ( ほう ) ( shihō )
私 わたし ( し ) • (shi )
a personal or private matter
selfishness
privacy , secrecy
( women's speech , obsolete ) a brother-in-law
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
【あたくし 】
[pronoun] more polite form of あたし ( atashi )
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry: あし
(The following entry is uncreated: あし .)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
【わい 】
[pronoun] ( dialect , Kansai , Kagoshima ; or Internet slang ) I , me ( first-person pronoun, mainly used by males )
[pronoun] you ( second-person pronoun, used when addressing an equal or inferior )
[particle] ( dated or dialectal ) A particle used in the end of sentences to indicate admiration or emotion. Slightly stronger than わ ( wa ) .
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
【儂 わし わし 】 H
[pronoun] ( mainly Western Japan ) I , me
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling ( more common ) of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry: わたい
(The following entry is uncreated: わたい .)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry: わちき
(The following entry is uncreated: わちき .)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry: わて
(The following entry is uncreated: わて .)
For pronunciation and definitions of 私 わたし – see the following entry.
(This term, 私 わたし , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
^ Matsumura, Akira (1995 ) 大辞泉 だいじせん [Daijisen ] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo : Shogakukan , →ISBN
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Matsumura, Akira , editor (2006 ), 大辞林 だいじりん [Daijirin ] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo : Sanseidō , →ISBN
↑ 3.0 3.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute , editor (1998 ), NHK日本語 にほんご 発音 はつおん アクセント辞典 じてん [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary ] (in Japanese), Tokyo : NHK Publishing, Inc. , →ISBN
私 わたし (eumhun 사사 사 ( sasa sa ) )
Hanja form? of 사 ( “ private , personal ” ) .
私 わたし (watakusi ) (kana わたくし )
a personal or private matter
Japanese: 私 わたし ( watakushi, watashi )
私 わたし : Hán Nôm readings: tư , tây
private , personal