私 — Kanji Reference
私 (I, private): 7 strokes, JLPT N5. On: シ. Kun: わたし、わたくし.
私
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Meaning | I, private |
| Strokes | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) | シ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) | わたし、わたくし |
| Radical | 禾 (Nogi - grain) [U+79BE] |
Stroke Order
The stroke order for 私 follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The short horizontal stroke (top of the grain radical).
- Stroke 2: The long vertical stroke (the stem of the grain).
- Stroke 3: The left-slanting stroke (the left "ear" of the grain).
- Stroke 4: The right-slanting stroke (the right "ear" of the grain).
- Stroke 5: The left vertical stroke of the right component (ム).
- Stroke 6: The diagonal stroke starting from the top of the right component.
- Stroke 7: The final hook stroke at the bottom right.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 私 is composed of two parts:
- Left side (禾): The nogi (grain) radical. Historically, this represented a stalk of grain.
- Right side (ム): This component is often associated with the meaning "private" or "self-centered" in ancient scripts, as it depicts a shape that "hides" or "gathers" things to oneself.
Combined meaning: Originally, the kanji represented "gathering grain for oneself" (private property), which evolved into the modern meaning of "private" and eventually the pronoun "I."
Mnemonic
Imagine you are a farmer standing in a field of grain (禾). You hold your hand up to your chest and point to yourself, saying, "This grain is private; it belongs only to me (私)."
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
シ (Shi)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私立 | しりつ | shiritsu | private (institution) |
| 私有 | しゆう | shiyū | private ownership |
| 私的 | してき | shiteki | personal/private |
| 私服 | しふく | shifuku | plain clothes |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
わたし (Watashi)
The most common, polite way to say "I." Used by both men and women in standard conversation.
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私 | わたし | watashi | I |
| 私たち | わたし・たち | watashi-tachi | we |
わたくし (Watakushi)
A more formal version of "I." Used in business settings, speeches, or by men in very formal contexts.
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私 | わたくし | watakushi | I (formal) |
| 私共 | わたくし・ども | watakushi-domo | we (humble) |
JLPT N5 Words Using 私
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 私 | わたし | watashi | I | N5 |
| 私たち | わたし・たち | watashi-tachi | we | N5 |
| 私立 | しりつ | shiritsu | private | N3 |
| 私服 | しふく | shifuku | plain clothes | N2 |
| 私的 | してき | shiteki | personal | N2 |
| 私有 | しゆう | shiyū | private property | N1 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私の名前は田中です。 | 私(わたし)の名前(なまえ)は田中(たなか)です。 | Watashi no namae wa Tanaka desu. | My name is Tanaka. |
| 私たちは学生です。 | 私(わたし)たちは学生(がくせい)です。 | Watashi-tachi wa gakusei desu. | We are students. |
| それは私の本です。 | それは私(わたし)の本(ほん)です。 | Sore wa watashi no hon desu. | That is my book. |
| 私立大学に通っています。 | 私立(しりつ)大学(だいがく)に通(かよ)っています。 | Shiritsu daigaku ni kayotte imasu. | I attend a private university. |
| 私服で出かけました。 | 私服(しふく)で出(で)かけました。 | Shifuku de dekakemashita. | I went out in plain clothes. |
| わたくしが責任者です。 | わたくしが責任者(せきにんしゃ)です。 | Watakushi ga sekininsha desu. | I am the person in charge. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | How to distinguish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私 | シ / わたし | I / Private | Has the grain (禾) radical on the left. |
| 和 | ワ / やわ | Harmony / Japanese | Has the grain (禾) radical on the left, but 口 on the right. |
Note: While both share the 禾 radical, 私 is about the "self," whereas 和 is about "harmony" (the mouth/people eating together).
Usage Frequency Note
私 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every daily conversation and written text. While "watashi" is standard, learners should be aware that in very casual speech, men often use "boku" (僕) or "ore" (俺), but "watashi" remains the safest and most polite choice for all learners.