自分が好き
jibun ga suki
The Japanese phrase for "I love me" is 自分が好き (jibun ga suki).
This phrase is used to express that a person has a positive opinion of themselves or likes who they are.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 自分 (jibun) literally means "oneself".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, you may hear わたしはわたしをめっちゃ好きやで。 In the masculine Tokyo dialect, the phrase 俺は自分を愛しているぜ。 is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the copula だ (da) to the end of 自分が好き makes it a complete, assertive sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
jibun ga suki
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the particle を instead of が with the adjective 好き, but が is the standard particle used to indicate the object of liking.
Did you know?
- In many Japanese contexts, saying 自分が好き can sound incredibly boastful or even conceited. Unlike in English, where self-love is often seen as healthy, Japanese culture traditionally emphasizes humility and the avoidance of drawing attention to one's own ego.
- The word 自分 (jibun) is unique because it can function as a first-person pronoun meaning 'I' in certain formal or highly disciplined environments, such as the police or military. In these settings, it is used to refer to oneself rather than the listener.
- While 好き (suki) is used for 'love' or 'like' in this phrase, the word 愛している (aishiteiru) is rarely used for self-love and sounds intensely dramatic or cinematic.
Examples in context
- ありのままの自分が好き。Ari no mama no jibun ga suki.I love myself just as I am.
- もっと自分が好きになりたいです。Motto jibun ga suki ni naritai desu.I want to love myself more.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about self-improvement.
- 結衣 Yui最近、なんだか自分が好きになったよ。Saikin, nandaka jibun ga suki ni natta yo.Lately, I've somehow started to like myself.
- 健太 Kentaそれはいいことだね。どうして？Sore wa ii koto da ne. Doushite?That's a good thing. Why is that?
- 結衣 Yui自分の良いところが見つかったから。Jibun no yoi tokoro ga mitsukatta kara.Because I found things I like about myself.
- 健太 Kenta結衣は本当に前向きだね。Yui wa hontou ni maemuki da ne.Yui, you are really positive.
