Since I personally focus on speaking Japanese and use romaji to learn, this post will only cover the spoken side; no hiragana, katakana, or kanji here. If you’re learning to read Japanese, I recommend using other resources or asking ChatGPT for guidance.
(Feel free to check out the r/languagelearning and r/LearnJapanese subreddits for extra resources or recommendations).
🔰 I don’t have any certificates, just a learner sharing what I know, so if I get something wrong, feel free to double-check or correct me!
💬 I’m still learning Japanese too, (on my journey from bronze to grandmaster), I document everything in my weekly language progress logs.
Every week I post a page with:
- A short speaking video or update
- My test assessment
- Notes and improvements
- What rank I’m at (from Bronze to Grandmaster)
👉 Check out the Language Progress Glossary Here
Japanese pronouns can be confusing, especially for beginners. There are many forms, some polite, some casual, some archaic. Their usage depends heavily on social context, politeness, and gender.
Unlike English, pronouns in Japanese are often omitted completely. Why? Because Japanese is a context language, meaning speakers rely more on shared understanding than on explicitly stating everything. If everyone already knows who you’re talking about, there’s often no need to say I, you, or they, the context fills in the gaps.
Using pronouns directly can even come off as rude or too blunt, especially when referring to someone else as “you.” For this reason, Japanese people often use the other person’s name with a respectful suffix (like Tanaka-san) instead of any form of “you.”
This page gives you the essential pronouns to know and explains how tone, gender, and formality affect their use.
🙋♂️ 1st Person Pronouns – “I / Me” in Japanese
| Pronoun | Tone / Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| watashi | Polite / neutral | Most common for all genders in polite settings. |
| watakushi | Very formal | Used in business, speeches, or ceremonial contexts. |
| boku | Polite-masculine | Common for men/boys; sounds humble or gentle. |
| ore | Casual-masculine | Confident, rougher; used among close male peers. |
| atashi | Feminine-casual | Informal; used by some women in casual setting. |
| uchi | Regional (Kansai) / feminine | Kansai dialect or casual feminine; also means “home.” |
| washi | Old-masculine | Often used by elderly men; samurai-like tone. |
| oi / ora | Rural / regional | Slangy, used in rural areas or fiction. |
⚠️ Note: In daily conversation, many Japanese people simply omit “I” once it’s clear who is speaking.
👉 2nd Person Pronouns – “You” in Japanese
| Pronoun | Tone / Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| anata | Polite / neutral | Often avoided; can sound distant or formal. Also used between spouses as “dear.” |
| anta | Casual / blunt | May sound rude or overly familiar. |
| kimi | Casual / to juniors | Used by men when speaking to someone younger or lower in status. |
| omae | Rough / masculine | Friendly among close male friends, but aggressive with strangers. |
| temae | Very rude | Sounds confrontational. Common in arguments or old media. |
| kisama | Extremely rude | Rarely used in real life, Hostile, offensive; often seen in anime/manga. |
| onushi / sonata | Archaic | Used in samurai-era speech or fantasy settings. |
⚠️ Best practice: Avoid “you” unless you’re confident with the context.
Use the person’s name + -san/-kun/-chan, especially in polite or formal settings.
You’ll hear a lot of these pronouns of “you” in anime.
👥 3rd Person Pronouns – “He / She / They” in Japanese
| Pronoun | Meaning / Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| kare | He | Also means “boyfriend” in context. |
| kanojo | She | Also means “girlfriend.” |
| ano hito | That person | Most polite and common alternative to kare/kanojo. |
| aitsu / yatsu | Casual / rude | Used to refer to “that guy” or “that person”, can sound rough or playful. |
| yatsu-ra / aitsu-ra | Rude plural | Rough forms of “they”, literally “those guys.” |
| kare-ra | They (mixed or male) | Polite plural. |
| kanojotachi | They (female) | Female-only plural version. |
🔄 Indefinite / 4th Person / Miscellaneous Pronouns
| Pronoun | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| dare | Who | Common casual form. |
| donata / dochira | Who (polite) | Used in respectful speech. |
| minna | Everyone | Friendly, casual, or general use |
| dare ka | Someone | Often used when uncertain who. |
| jibun | Oneself / myself | Can also mean “I” in Kansai dialect or military settings. |
| ware / onore | Archaic forms | “I” / “oneself”; onore can be humble or hostile depending on context. |
| wareware | We (formal) | Used in formal contexts; speeches, or writing. |
🧠 Final Thoughts
Pronouns in Japanese aren’t just about grammar; they reflect culture, hierarchy, and personal identity.
If you’re learning through Romaji and just speaking, don’t overthink every detail. But being aware of tone and context helps avoid awkward or rude situations, especially when speaking to someone older, less familiar, or in a professional setting.
✅ Remember:
- Use names (plus suffixes) instead of “you”
- Skip pronouns when the subject is clear
- Be mindful of tone, politeness, and context
- Anime often exaggerates pronouns for drama or effect, don’t mimic blindly!
🧱 Why I Learn This Way
While I continue learning Japanese and other languages, I also make money online through beermoney apps. It’s not much, but it helps me feel like I’m turning my free time into something more productive and fun.
👇 Check out my glossaries below
💸 Beermoney Glossary:
Curious how much money you can realistically make online from surveys, games, ads, and small tasks? Check out my Beermoney Glossary page, where I break down every app and site I’ve tried with videos, payment proof, and my personal experiences. I always recommend doing beermoney while watching shows, anime, gaming, or handling small tasks around the house.
👉 Beermoney reviews
📈 Monthly Earnings Tracker:
Want to see exactly what I cashed out every month? My Monthly Earnings Tracker has screenshots of my app cashouts, plus updates on my trading and investment accounts, all in one place, month by month.
👉 Monthly earnings
🌍 Language Learning Glossary:
Curious what languages I’m learning? Check out my Language Learning Glossary for weekly progress updates. I post short speaking videos, track my progress, share my personal study notes, and break down the rank criteria I follow.
👉 Language progress