私のもの
watashi no mono
The English phrase 'mine' is expressed in Japanese as 私のもの (watashi no mono).
私のもの is used to refer to a possessed object or thing. It is important to note that while it means 'mine' in the sense of ownership of objects, it is not used to refer to people, such as 'my person' or 'my people'.
Meaning: that which belongs to me (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of watashi (I/me), the possessive particle no (of) and mono (thing/object), literally meaning 'my thing'.
Which one should you use?
While 私のもの specifically refers to a possessed object, in many contexts the mono part can be omitted, leaving just 私の to mean both 'my' and 'mine'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Male speakers often use 僕のもの instead of 私のもの to sound less formal or more boyish. In very informal or rough settings, the casual pronoun 'ore' can be used in the form 俺のもの.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no mono
Did you know?
- In many social situations, Japanese speakers avoid using 'mine' altogether by simply stating the object's name, as claiming ownership can sometimes sound too assertive.
- While もの means 'thing', it is distinct from こと, which refers to intangible things like ideas or events. You cannot use 私のこと to mean 'mine' when referring to a physical object.
- The word もの is also used as a sentence-ending particle to express a longing or a justification. In this case, it has nothing to do with owning an object.
Examples in context
- あの家は私のものだ。That house is mine.This sentence shows how to identify a house as being owned by the speaker using 私のもの.Tatoeba #231172 by bunbuku, translation #398522 by CK
- どちらが私のものですか。Which is mine?This sentence is useful for asking which item belongs to the speaker using 私のもの.Tatoeba #200800 by KK_kaku_, translation #38002 by CK
- この自転車は私のものです。This bicycle is mine.This sentence demonstrates how to claim ownership of a bicycle using 私のもの.Tatoeba #221557 by bunbuku, translation #496111 by CK
- この書類は私のものです。(Kono shorui wa watashi no mono desu.)This document is mine.
- このゲームは僕のだよ。(Kono geemu wa boku no da yo.)This game is mine.
- この車は俺のだ。(Kono kuruma wa ore no da.)This car is mine.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are looking for their umbrellas.
- 陽太 Yotaこの青い傘は私のものかな。Kono aoi kasa wa watashi no mono kana.I wonder if this blue umbrella is mine.
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、それは私のものです。Iie, sore wa watashi no mono desu.No, that one is mine.
- 陽太 Yotaあ、本当だ。ごめんね。A, hontō da. Gomen ne.Oh, you're right. Sorry.
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫だよ、陽太君。Daijōbu da yo, Yōta-kun.It's okay, Yota.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
