代名詞
daimeishi[da̠ime̞ːɕi]
The English phrase 'pronouns' is translated to Japanese as 代名詞 (daimeishi).
Within Japanese, there are many specific pronouns used depending on the speaker's gender, level of formality and social context. For example, Watashi (私) is a gender-neutral pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me' used in formal situations. For the informal 'I', males might use Boku (僕) or Ore (俺), while women might use Atashi (あたし) to convey a cute and friendly tone. For the concept of 'we' or 'us', one can use Watashi-tachi (私たち) or the formal Wareware (我々).
How does it change in a sentence?
You can also change the meaning of 'I' to 'we' by adding the suffix -tachi to Watashi, creating Watashi-tachi (私たち).
Did you know?
- In many natural Japanese conversations, people avoid using pronouns altogether, even when it is obvious whom they are talking about.
- In anime or manga, characters often use highly unusual pronouns like Sessha to sound like a samurai or a supernatural being.
- In some contexts, a person may refer to themselves using their own name instead of a pronoun. This is common among children or women wanting to sound endearing.
Examples in context
- 中学生が英語を学ぶ際の最難関の一つが関係代名詞です。One of the greatest hurdles facing middle school students learning English is relative pronouns.This sentence is useful for discussing the difficulties students face when learning English relative pronouns.Tatoeba #75158 by fcbond, translation #328561 by fcbond
- 関係代名詞は「接続詞+代名詞」のはたらきをしています。Relative pronouns perform as 'conjunction + pronoun'.This sentence explains the function of relative pronouns as a combination of a conjunction and a pronoun.Tatoeba #74858 by fcbond, translation #328861 by fcbond
- 引用した問題ではありませんが、関係代名詞と関係副詞の使い分けを問う問題がリーディングセクションにはあります。The problem quoted isn't one, but there are problems in the reading section that ask you to distinguish relative pronouns from relative adverbs.This sentence describes a reading section task that requires distinguishing between relative pronouns and relative adverbs.Tatoeba #75033 by fcbond, translation #328686 by fcbond
Example conversation
Two students are discussing their English grammar lesson.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日の授業は代名詞がテーマだね。Kyou no jugyou wa daimeishi ga teema da ne.Today's lesson is about pronouns.
- 結衣 Yui代名詞は種類が多くて難しいわ。Daimeishi wa shurui ga ookute muzukashii wa.There are many types of pronouns, so they are difficult.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣は代名詞の使い分けは得意なの？Yui wa daimeishi no tsukaiwake wa tokui nano?Yui, are you good at distinguishing between different pronouns?
- 結衣 Yuiううん、まだ全然ダメよ。Uun, mada zenzen dame yo.No, I'm still not good at it at all.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 代名詞, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
