Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 私の | watashi no | |
| 僕の | boku no | |
| 我が | waga | [β̞a̠ɡa̠] (narrow) |
These terms are used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker. In natural Japanese conversation, the word for 'my' is often omitted entirely if the context makes it clear that the speaker is referring to themselves.
What does it mean word for word?
The forms are constructed by adding the possessive particle の to a personal pronoun. The particle の is added to a pronoun to indicate possession, functioning like the English 's or 'my'.
Which one should you use?
While 私の is the standard polite and neutral form, 僕の is a common way for males to say 'my' in casual or semi-formal settings. The form 我が is a highly formal or literary term used for 'my' or 'our', which is often seen in expressions like 'my country' (我が国).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
私の is the standard, polite way to say 'my' and is used by both men and women in most situations. 僕の is used by males in informal or semi-formal settings. 我が is reserved for formal or literary contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, washi (わし) is commonly used by older people instead of watashi (私).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive particle の is added to a personal pronoun to indicate possession.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no
Did you know?
- In some anime or manga, characters use highly unusual versions of 'my' to establish a specific personality trope, such as the arrogant 'ore-sama' style.
- In very formal contexts, such as a company representative speaking to a client, a speaker might use a 'humble' form of 'my' that differs from the standard 私の to lower their own status.
- In ancient Japanese, the particle が functioned as a possessive marker, similar to the modern の. This archaic usage survives today in the formal term 我が and in certain traditional place names.
Examples in context
- 私の番よね？My turn, right?This sentence shows how to use 私の to indicate a turn.Tatoeba #11795463 by small_snow, translation #11118127 by ddnktr
- 私の本はどこ？Where's my book?This sentence shows how to use 私の to ask about ownership of a book.Tatoeba #162630 by small_snow, translation #251884 by CK
- 私の責任です。That's my fault.This sentence shows how to use 私の to express responsibility.Tatoeba #163204 by small_snow, translation #251307 by CK
- Watashi no namae (私の名前)My name
- Watashi no ie (私の家)My house
- Watashi no petto (私のペット)My pet
- Watashi no kazoku (私の家族)My family
- 2877 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking for an umbrella in the hallway.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、これは私の傘？Yui, kore wa watashi no kasa?Yui, is this my umbrella?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、それは私のじゃないよ。Iie, sore wa watashi no janai yo.No, that's not mine.
- 蓮 Renじゃあ、私の傘はどこかな。Jaa, watashi no kasa wa doko kana.Then, I wonder where my umbrella is.
- 結衣 Yuiあそこにありますよ。Asoko ni arimasu yo.It's over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries 我が, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 我が, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
