私は彼です
watashi wa kare desu
The English phrase "I am him" is expressed in Japanese as 私は彼です (watashi wa kare desu).
This phrase is used to identify yourself as a specific male person who was previously mentioned in conversation.
Which one should you use?
While 私は彼です is a standard way to state the identity, other forms exist. Boku ga kare da. is an informal way to say "I am him," whereas Aitsu wa ore da. translates to "He is me" or "I am him." The word Aitsu is a colloquial way to say "he" or "him."
How do you pronounce it?
watashi wa kare desu
Did you know?
- While watashi is the standard 'I', Japanese has dozens of words for 'I' that signal the speaker's social status, gender and level of confidence.
- In Japanese, using the word kare to mean 'he' is relatively recent and can sometimes be confused with the word for 'boyfriend'.
- The word aitsu is a contraction of ano hito, which literally means 'that person'.
Example conversation
Misaki is looking for a specific man at a party.
- 美咲 Misaki誰が彼ですか？Dare ga kare desu ka?Who is he?
- 健太 Kenta私は彼です。Watashi wa kare desu.I am him.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんですね！Kenta-san desu ne!You are Kenta!
- 健太 Kentaはい、そうです。Hai, sō desu.Yes, that is right.
