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Personal & possessive pronouns
Demonstrative & interrogative pronouns
Vocabulary Part I
Vocabulary Part II
Personal Pronouns
Though the Japanese language does have personal pronouns, it is preferable not to use them. Using personal pronouns puts a lot of stress on the subject and can often sound either egocentric or like an accusation. Instead of using personal pronouns, the Japanese prefer to use one's title or function, or one's name.
There are several synonyms for each personal pronoun, often with different levels of politeness. Some personal pronouns are for exclusive use by women, others are exclusively used by men.
| Personal Pronouns |
| I / me |
私 |
watakushi |
Formal |
| 私 |
watashi |
Polite |
| 僕 |
boku |
Informal / Masculine |
| あたし |
atashi |
Informal / Feminine |
| 俺 |
ore |
Rude - Masculine |
| you |
あなた |
anata |
Polite |
| 君 |
kimi |
Informal |
| お前 |
o-mae |
Rude - Masculine |
| he, him |
彼 |
kare |
|
| she, her |
彼女 |
kanojo |
|
| he, him / she, her |
あの方 |
ano kata |
Formal |
| あの人 |
ano hito |
|
 |
| we, us |
私達 |
watakushitachi |
Formal |
| 私達 |
watashitachi |
Polite |
| 僕達 |
bokutachi |
Informal - Masculine |
| あたし達 |
atashitachi |
Informal - Feminine |
| 俺等 |
orera |
Rude - Masculine |
| you |
あなた方 |
anatagata |
|
| あなた達 |
anatatachi |
Polite |
| 君達 |
kimitachi |
Informal |
| お前等 |
o-maera |
Rude - Masculine |
| they, them |
あの方々 |
ano katagata |
Formal |
| あの方達 |
ano katatachi |
Formal |
| あの人達 |
ano hitotachi |
|
| 彼等 |
karera |
|
| 彼女達 |
kanojotachi |
All women |
Personal and possessive pronouns are used only when there could be some confusion as to whom you are referring. Once the topic has been established pronouns are usually no longer used.
| |
だれがウイスキーでした? (Dare ga uisukii deshita?)
Who had the whisky?
あたしです。(Atashi desu.)
That's me.
へ~、ウイスキー飲みますか。(Hee, uisukii nomimasu ka.)
Huh? Do you drink whisky? |
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are formed by simply placing の (no) after the respective personal pronoun.
| Personal Pronouns |
Possessive Pronouns |
| 私 |
watakushi |
I, me |
私の |
watakushi no |
my, mine |
| 私 |
watashi |
I, me |
私の |
watashi no |
my, mine |
| 僕 |
boku |
I, me |
僕の |
boku no |
my, mine |
| あたし |
atashi |
I, me |
あたしの |
atashi no |
my, mine |
| 俺 |
ore |
I, me |
俺の |
ore no |
my, mine |
| あなた |
anata |
you |
あなたの |
anata no |
your, yours |
| 君 |
kimi |
you |
君の |
kimi no |
your, yours |
| お前 |
o-mae |
you |
お前の |
o-mae no |
your, yours |
| あの方 |
ano kata |
he, him/she, her |
あの方の |
ano kata no |
his/her, hers |
| あの人 |
ano hito |
he, him/she, her |
あの人の |
ano hito no |
his/her, hers |
| 彼 |
kare |
he, him |
彼の |
kare no |
his |
| 彼女 |
kanojo |
she, her |
彼女の |
kanojo no |
her, hers |
 |
| 私達 |
watakushitachi |
we, us |
私達の |
watakushitachi no |
our, ours |
| 私達 |
watashitachi |
we, us |
私達の |
watashitachi no |
our, ours |
| 僕達 |
bokutachi |
we, us |
僕達の |
bokutachi no |
our, ours |
| あたし達 |
atashitachi |
we, us |
あたし達の |
atashitachi no |
our, ours |
| 俺等 |
orera |
we, us |
俺等の |
orera no |
our, ours |
| あなた方 |
anatagata |
you |
あなた方の |
anatagata no |
your, yours |
| あなた達 |
anatatachi |
you |
あなた達の |
anatatachi no |
your, yours |
| 君達 |
kimitachi |
you |
君達の |
kimitachi no |
your, yours |
| お前等 |
o-maera |
you |
お前等の |
o-maera no |
your, yours |
| あの方々 |
ano katagata |
they, them |
あの方々の |
ano katagata no |
their, theirs |
| あの方達 |
ano katatachi |
they, them |
あの方達の |
ano katatachi no |
their, theirs |
| あの人達 |
ano hitotachi |
they, them |
あの人達の |
ano hitotachi no |
their, theirs |
| 彼等 |
karera |
they, them |
彼等の |
karera no |
their, theirs |
| 彼女達 |
kanojotachi |
they, them |
彼女達の |
kanojotachi no |
their, theirs |
When the possessive pronoun is followed by a noun it is translated as my, your, her, and so on, when the possessive pronoun is used by itself it is translated as mine, yours, hers, et cetera.
| |
誰の手紙なの? (Dare no tegami na no?)
Whose letter is it?
彼女のオートバイです。(Kanojo no ootobai desu.)
It's her motorbike.
全部僕等のだ。(Zenbu bokura no da.)
It's all ours. |
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