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Many ways to say it
Entry 70 of 74 | show all | print this entry |
There are many ways to say the Japanese equivalent for "I," all depending on the situation. Nice. Makes for a more colorful language, eh?
The very formal word to use is ... watakushi. Not something you'd generally say when introducing yourself to the pizza-delivery guy.
The conventional or standard word is ... watashi.
Females in more casual settings often say atashi (a softer sound at the beginning implies a more feminine word).
Males, on the other hand, in such cases often use ... boku. One Web site describes boku as "the poetic first person," though it's often also used a lot by men, too. Or if one is introducing oneself, speaking about oneself in a less formal mind-set.
Ore, too (oira and ora in local dialects, is not for formal settings or in meeting a business contact for the first time. Ore, when heard from a foreigner's perspective, can sound more masculine or a hint of toughness in the voice when the word is use.
Less formal, too, in Hiroshima, for instance, is the word "washi," again mostly used by males.
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| 70. | Many ways to say it - Tokyo, Japan Feb 25, 2008 |
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