就我个人而言
jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán
The English phrase 'personally' can be translated into Mandarin as 就我个人而言 (jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán).
The phrase is used to express an opinion or state a position concerning oneself, meaning 'as far as I, personally, am concerned'.
Meaning: concerning oneself (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 就 (concerning), 我个人 (my personal self) and 而言 (to speak of/as far as… is concerned).
Which one should you use?
While 就我个人而言 is a formal way to express a personal perspective, the phrase 个人来说 (gèrén lái shuō) is another formal alternative that literally translates to 'speaking from a personal perspective'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
就我个人而言 is a formal expression. In casual conversation, people often use the more informal phrase 我个人觉得 (I personally feel) instead.
How do you pronounce it?
jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán
Did you know?
- In high-stakes business meetings, starting a sentence with 就我个人而言 can be a strategic way to distance one's own opinion from the official company line.
- The term 而言 (ér yán) is a literary remnant from Classical Chinese that survives in modern formal speech to indicate the scope of a discussion.
- While English speakers use 'personally' to soften an opinion, using the formal 就我个人而言 in a heated argument might actually make you sound unintentionally condescending or overly stiff.
Examples in context
- 就我个人而言，我认为这是一个好主意。As far as I am concerned, I think this is a good idea.
- 我觉得这个决定不太对。Personally, I think this decision is not right.
- 就我个人而言，我不喜欢吃辣。Jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán, wǒ bù xǐhuān chī là.Personally, I don't like eating spicy food.
- 就我个人而言，这个主意不错。Jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán, zhège zhǔyì bùcuò.Personally, I think this idea is not bad.
- 就我个人而言，他是一个好人。Jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán, tā shì yīgè hǎorén.Personally, I think he is a good person.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing which movie to watch.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得这部电影怎么样？Nǐ juédé zhè bù diànyǐng zěnmeyàng?What do you think of this movie?
- 佳怡 Jiayi就我个人而言，它有点无聊。Jiù wǒ gèrén ér yán, tā yǒudiǎn wúliáo.Personally, I think it is a bit boring.
- 浩然 Haoran真的吗？我觉得很有趣。Zhēn de ma? Wǒ juédé hěn yǒuqù.Really? I find it very interesting.
- 佳怡 Jiayi每个人的看法都不一样。Měi gèrén de kànfǎ dōu bù yīyàng.Everyone's opinion is different.
