May 22, 2026

Which pronoun do you use in Japanese to refer to yourself?

Are you 私 either watashi or atashi? Or are you 僕 or 内? Do you vary depending on who you're interacting with?

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TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

6 Answers

Best Answer

BigfamJapan

on Jun 6

@TonetoEdo I don't think I've ever used "boku", but my girls do sometimes.

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BigfamJapan

on May 24

"Watashi", but if I referring to the family, as in "we as a family..." I say "Uchi". How about you?

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genkidesu

on May 25

Watashi for me as well!

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TonetoEdo

on May 25

@BigfamJapan I use 私 these days. I never got in the habit of saying "atashi", but did use 内 when I was in my 30s. I think it sounds odd coming from a middle-aged woman. With martial arts colleagues, I sometimes use 僕 when speaking informally.

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TonetoEdo

on Jun 6

@BigfamJapan Ah, some "boku" girls! In what context?

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BigfamJapan

on Jun 6

@TonetoEdo they seem to use it while talking to their girlfriends, when they are gathered here in the privacy of a home. I don't know if they use it in school, for example.

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BlueButterfly

on Feb 17

Which pronoun do you use in Japanese to refer to yourself?

6 Answers

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