자신
jasin[t͡ɕa̠ɕʰin]
The Korean word for 'myself' is 자신 (jasin).
자신 is a reflexive pronoun meaning 'self' or 'oneself'.
Meaning: me, reflexive form of me (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
자신 literally means 'self' or 'oneself'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'myself', you often combine the possessive pronoun 내 (my) with 자신 (self) to form 내 자신.
How do you pronounce it?
jasin
Did you know?
- The word 자신 can mean two completely different things depending on the characters used. It can mean 'oneself' or it can mean 'confidence'.
- In certain contexts, using 자신 can make you sound more like you are writing a poem or a formal essay rather than speaking in daily conversation.
- In formal settings, Koreans often avoid using reflexive pronouns like 자신 entirely, preferring to omit the pronoun if the context makes the subject clear.
Examples in context
- 나는 내 자신이 싫어.I hate myself.Tatoeba #6305164 by Queserasera, translation #1779951 by Spamster
- 가끔 내 자신이 싫어.Sometimes I hate myself.Tatoeba #6305166 by Queserasera, translation #3322696 by pne
- 나도 내 자신을 싫어해.I hate myself as well.Tatoeba #6305167 by Queserasera, translation #5752024 by CM
- 저 자신을 믿어야 해요.I have to believe in myself.
- 내 자신을 더 잘 알게 되었어.I got to know myself better.
- 저 자신을 더 잘 이해하려 노력하고 있어요.I am trying to understand myself better.
- 내 자신을 믿고 해낼 수 있어.I believe in myself and can do it.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are talking about personal growth.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo더 나은 자신이 되고 싶어요.deo na-eun jasin-i doego sipeoyo.I want to become a better version of myself.
- 수빈 Su-bin이미 충분히 멋진 사람이에요.imi chungbun-hi meotjin saram-ieyo.You are already a wonderful person.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo고맙지만, 제 자신을 믿고 노력할게요.gomap-jiman, je jasin-eul mitgo noryeok-halgeyo.Thanks, but I will believe in myself and work hard.
- 수빈 Su-bin그 마음가짐이 정말 보기 좋아요.geu maeum-gajim-i jeongmal bogi joayo.That mindset is really great to see.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “myself” translations and entries 자신, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 자신, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
