吾

吾	U+543E, 吾 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-543E

← 吽
[U+543D]

CJK Unified Ideographs

吿 →
[U+543F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order (Sans-serif)

Han character

吾 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 一一口 (MMR), four-corner 1060₁, composition ⿱五口)

Derived characters

俉, 𠗐, 語 (语), 捂, 唔, 峿, 浯, 悟, 娪, 㹳, 珸, 梧, 啎, 牾, 晤, 焐, 䏸, 䎸, 𥟊, 鋙 (铻), 齬 (龉/𪘚), 䮏, 鯃, 鼯, 郚, 敔, 㐚, 䦜, 圄, 痦, 逜, 衙, 䓊, 寤, 窹

References

KangXi: page 180, character 3

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3379

Dae Jaweon: page 398, character 2

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 585, character 13

Unihan data for U+543E

Chinese

trad.		吾
simp. ^#		吾
alternative forms		𫊣

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吾
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (五) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
吾	ŋraː, ŋaː
衙	ŋraː, ŋa, *ŋaʔ
鼯	*ŋaː
浯	*ŋaː
珸	*ŋaː
郚	*ŋaː
齬	ŋaː, ŋa, *ŋaʔ
鯃	*ŋaː
娪	*ŋaː
梧	*ŋaː
峿	*ŋaː
五	*ŋaːʔ
伍	*ŋaːʔ
寤	*ŋaːs
啎	*ŋaːs
晤	*ŋaːs
悟	*ŋaːs
逜	*ŋaːs
窹	*ŋaːs
捂	*ŋaːs
鋙	ŋa, ŋaʔ
語	ŋaʔ, ŋas
圄	*ŋaʔ
敔	*ŋaʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋraː, *ŋaː) : phonetic 五 (OC *ŋaːʔ) + semantic 口 (“mouth”).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa-j ~ ka (“I”). Cognate with Burmese ငါ (nga, “I”), 我 (OC *ŋaːlʔ, “I”), Hakka 𠊎 (ngài, “I”).

Pronunciation 1

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wú (wu²)
(Zhuyin): ㄨˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ng⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): ǹg / ngâ
(Meixian, Guangdong): n²
Min Dong (BUC): ngù
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): ngô͘ / gô͘
(Teochew, Peng'im): u⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): ngu (T3); hhngg (T3)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wú
  - Zhuyin: ㄨˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wú
  - Wade–Giles: wu²
  - Yale: wú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wu
  - Palladius: у (u)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵/

Note:

wú - standard;
wǔ - common variant.

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: ng⁴
  - Yale: ǹgh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ng⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ng⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋ̍²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ǹg / ngâ
  - Hakka Romanization System: ngˇ / nga´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ng² / nga¹
  - Sinological IPA: /ŋ̍¹¹/, /ŋa²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: n²
  - Sinological IPA: /n̩¹¹/

Note:

Sixian:
- ǹg - literary;
- ngâ - vernacular (“my”).

Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ngù
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋu⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngô͘
  - Tâi-lô: ngôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ngoo
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃²³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ŋɔ̃²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gô͘
  - Tâi-lô: gôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: goo
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡɔ¹³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡɔ²⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: u⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: û
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /u⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: ngu (T3); hhngg (T3)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋv̩ʷ²³/, /ɦŋ̍²³/

Middle Chinese: /ŋuo/

Rime
Character	吾
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	五乎切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋuo/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋuo/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋo/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɔ/
Li Rong	/ŋo/
Wang Li	/ŋu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋuo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ng⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋˤa/
(Zhengzhang): /*ŋaː/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吾
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wú
Middle Chinese	‹ ngu ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋˁa/
English	I, my
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吾
Reading #	2/2
No.	13146
Phonetic component	五
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	吾
Old Chinese	/*ŋaː/

Definitions

吾

(literary or dialectal) I
- 吾嘗終日而思矣，不如須臾之所學也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  吾尝终日而思矣，不如须臾之所学也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE
  Wú cháng zhōngrì ér sī yǐ, bùrú xūyú zhī suǒ xué yě. [Pinyin]
  I have once engaged in thinking for the whole day, and it could not compare with a moment of learning.
- 如有政，雖不吾以，吾其與聞之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  如有政，虽不吾以，吾其与闻之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Rú yǒu zhèng, suī bù wú yǐ, wú qí yù wén zhī. [Pinyin]
  If there had been government business, though I am now not appointed, I should have been consulted about it.
- 吾觀全地球之社會，未有凌亂舊金山之華人者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  吾观全地球之社会，未有凌乱旧金山之华人者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1904 February, Liang Qichao, "Travel Notes of the New Continent"
  Wú guān quán dìqiú zhī shèhuì, wèi yǒu língluàn Jiùjīnshān zhī huárén zhě. [Pinyin]
  From all the societies I have seen in the world, there is no society as disorderly as the Chinese community in San Francisco.
(literary or dialectal) my
- 吾皇 [Classical Chinese] ― wú huáng [Pinyin] ― my emperor
- 吾姆 [Sixian Hakka] ― ngâ mê [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ] ― my mom
a surname. Wu

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 我 (“I”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		吾, 我, 余, 予, 台, 朕, 臣, 愚 humble
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		我, 本人 humble, 在下 humble
Mandarin	Beijing	我
	Taiwan	我
	Tianjin	我
	Langfang	我
	Chengde	我
	Tangshan	我
	Cangzhou	我, 俺
	Baoding	我
	Shijiazhuang	我, 俺
	Ulanhot	我
	Tongliao	我
	Chifeng	我, 咱
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	我
	Heihe	我, 俺
	Qiqihar	我, 俺
	Harbin	我, 俺
	Jiamusi	我, 俺, 咱
	Baicheng	我
	Changchun	我
	Tonghua	我, 咱
	Shenyang	我
	Dandong	我, 俺
	Jinzhou	我
	Dalian	我
	Yantai	我, 俺
	Yantai (Muping)	我, 俺
	Qingdao	我, 俺
	Lijin	我, 俺
	Weifang (Weicheng)	我, 俺
	Weifang (Fangzi)	我, 俺
	Weifang (Hanting)	我, 俺
	Changyi	我, 俺
	Gaomi	我, 俺
	Zhucheng	我, 俺
	Anqiu	我, 俺
	Changle	我, 俺
	Linqu	我, 俺
	Qingzhou	俺
	Shouguang	我, 俺
	Rizhao	我, 俺
	Wulian	我, 俺
	Jinan	我, 俺
	Jining	我, 俺
	Luoyang	我, 俺
	Wanrong	我, 俺
	Shangqiu	我, 俺
	Yuanyang	我, 俺
	Zhengzhou	我, 俺
	Kaifeng	我, 俺
	Lingbao	我
	Xinyang	我
	Ankang	我
	Baihe	我
	Ziyang	我
	Hanzhong	我
	Xi'an	我, 俺 †
	Baoji	我
	Yinchuan	我
	Tongxin	我
	Zhongwei	我
	Guyuan	我
	Tianshui	我
	Lanzhou	我
	Dunhuang	我
Xining	我
Hami	我
Ürümqi	我
Yanqi	我
Wuhan	我
Huanggang	我
Yichang	我
Xiangyang	我
Tianmen	我
Hong'an	我
Chengdu	我
Chengdu (Xindu)	我
Nanchong	我
Nanbu	我
Dazhou	我
Hanyuan	我
Xichang	我
Zigong	我
Chongqing	我
Lhasa	我
Guiyang	我
Zunyi	我
Bijie	我
Liping	我
Zhaotong	我
Dali	我
Kunming	我
Mengzi	我
Guilin	我
Guilin (Lingui)	我
Guanyang	我
Lipu	我
Pingle	我
Yangshuo	我
Liuzhou	我
Nanning (Xiakuojie)	我
Nanning (Fujian)	我
Nanning (Wuming)	我
Nanning (Fucheng, Wuming)	我
Binyang (Nanjie)	我
Shanglin (Sanli)	我
Yizhou	我
Qinzhou (Longmengang)	我
Jishou	我
Changde	我, 頑, 俺
Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine)	我
Anqing	我
Xuzhou	我, 俺, 咱
Xuzhou (Jiawang)	俺, 我
Pizhou	俺, 我
Suining	我
Xinyi	我, 俺
Fengxian	我, 俺
Suqian	俺
Ganyu	我, 俺
Fuyang	我, 俺
Wuhu	我
Yangzhou	我
Jiangdu	我
Baoying	我
Gaoyou	我
Yizheng	我
Lianyungang	我, 俺
Donghai	我, 俺
Guanyun	我
Guannan	我, 呣
Huai'an (Huaiyin)	我
Huai'an (Hongze)	我
Lianshui	我
Xuyi	我
Jinhu	我
Xinghua	我
Nanjing	我
Hefei	我
Bengbu	我, 俺
Chuzhou	我
Nantong	我
Rugao	我
Rudong	我
Hai'an	我
Yancheng	我
Dongtai	我
Sheyang	我
Funing	我
Jianhu	我
Xiangshui	我
Shuyang	我
Sihong	我, 俺
Taizhou	我
Taixing	我
Jiangyan	我
Jingjiang (Dongxing)	我
Zhenjiang	我
Jurong	我
Malaysia	我
Singapore	我
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	我
Dagudi (Maliba)	我
Reshuitang (Longling)	我
Mae Salong (Lancang)	我
Mae Sai (Tengchong)	我
Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	我
Cantonese	Guangzhou	我
	Hong Kong	我
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	我
	Macau	我
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	我
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	我
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	我
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	我
	Foshan	我
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	我
	Foshan (Shunde)	我
	Foshan (Sanshui)	我
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	我
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	我
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	我
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	我
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	我
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	𠊎
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	我
	Taishan	我
	Kaiping (Chikan)	我
	Enping (Niujiang)	我
	Heshan (Yayao)	我
	Dongguan	我
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	我
	Qingyuan	我
	Fogang	我
	Yingde (Hanguang)	我
	Yangshan	我
	Lianshan (Butian)	我
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	我
	Shaoguan	我
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	我
	Renhua	我
	Lechang	我
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	我
	Sihui	我
	Guangning	我
	Deqing	我
	Huaiji	我
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	儂
	Yunfu	我, 儂
	Xinxing	我
	Luoding	我
	Yunan (Pingtai)	我
	Yangjiang	我
	Xinyi	我
	Maoming (Xinpo)	我
	Lianjiang	我
	Wuchuan (Wuyang)	我
	Nanning	我
	Wuzhou	我
	Yulin	我
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	我
	Hepu (Shatian)	我
	Guiping	我
	Mengshan (Xihe)	我
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	我
	Beiliu	我
	Baise	我
	Bobai	我
	Lingshan	我
	Pubei	我
	Qinzhou	我
Beihai	我
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	我
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	我
Ningming	我
Hengxian	我
Hezhou (Pumen)	儂
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	我
Danzhou	我
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	我
Penang (Guangfu)	我
Singapore (Guangfu)	我
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	我
Móng Cái	我
Gan	Nanchang	我
	Nanchang (Wangcheng)	我
	Anyi	我仂
	Lushan	我
	Pengze	我
	Duchang	我, 我濃
	Wuning (Quankou)	我
	Poyang	我
	Yugan	阿, 我郎
	Wannian	阿
	Hengfeng	阿, 阿仂
	Yanshan	阿, 阿仂
	Leping	阿
	Yichun	我
	Yifeng	阿
	Gao'an	我
	Fengxin	我
	Shanggao	我
	Wanzai	我
	Fengcheng	我
	Xinyu	阿, 我
	Fuzhou (Shangdundu)	我
	Fuzhou (Dongxiang)	阿仂
	Nancheng	阿
	Nanfeng	阿仂, 阿
	Yihuang	我
	Lichuan	我, 阿
	Chongren	我
	Pingxiang	巷
	Lianhua	我
	Ji'an	阿, 我
	Yongfeng	我
	Taihe	我
	Xiajiang	我
	Yongxin	我
	Yingtan (Yujiang)	阿
	Guixi	阿, 阿仂
	Jianning	我
	Jinxian	我
	Jinxi	阿
	Le'an	我
	Guangchang	阿
	Anfu	我
	Suichuan	𠊎
	Wan'an	𠊎
	Jing'an	我
	Zhangshu	我
	Xingan	我
	Fenyi	我
Hakka	Meixian	𠊎
	Xingning	𠊎
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	我
	Huizhou (Shuikou Bendihua)	我
	Huizhou (Hengli Bendihua)	我
	Huiyang	𠊎
	Huidong (Pingshan Bendihua)	我
	Huidong (Daling)	𠊎
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	𠊎
	Longmen (Pingling Bendihua)	我
	Longmen (Luxi Bendihua)	我
	Boluo (Bendihua)	我
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	𠊎
	Zengcheng (Zhengguo)	𠊎
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	𠊎
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	𠊎
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	𠊎
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	𠊎
	Wuhua (Changbu)	𠊎
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	𠊎
	Wuhua (Meilin)	𠊎
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	我
	Zijin	我
	Zijin (Guzhu Bendihua)	我
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	我
	Longchuan (Sidu Bendihua)	我
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	我
	Lianping (Zhongxin Bendihua)	我
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	我
	Wengyuan	𠊎
	Nanxiong (Zhuji)	𠊎
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	𠊎
	Xinfeng (Matou Bendihua)	我
	Xinfeng (Daxi Bendihua)	我
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	𠊎
	Liannan	𠊎
	Conghua (Lütian)	𠊎
	Jiexi	𠊎
	Luhe	𠊎
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	𠊎
	Changting	𠊎
	Shanghang	𠊎
	Yongding	𠊎
	Wuping	𠊎
	Wuping (Yanqian)	𠊎
	Wuping (Pingyu)	𠊎
	Liancheng	𠊎
	Ninghua	𠊎
	Qingliu	𠊎
	Yudu	𠊎
	Ningdu	𠊎
	Ruijin	𠊎
	Shicheng	𠊎
	Shangyou (Shexi)	𠊎
	Tonggu (Sandu)	𠊎
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	𠊎
	Dayu	𠊎
	Dingnan	𠊎
	Longnan	𠊎
	Xunwu	𠊎
	Huichang	𠊎
	Nankang	𠊎
	Chongyi	𠊎
	Xingguo	𠊎
Miaoli (N. Sixian)	𠊎
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	𠊎
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	𠊎
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	𠊎
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	𠊎
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	𠊎
Hong Kong	𠊎
Yangxi (Tangkou)	𠊎
Yangchun (Sanjia)	𠊎
Xinyi (Sihe)	𠊎
Xinyi (Qianpai)	𠊎
Gaozhou (Xindong)	𠊎
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	𠊎
Huazhou (Xin'an)	𠊎
Lianjiang (Shijiao)	𠊎
Lianjiang (Qingping)	𠊎
Mengshan (Xihe)	𠊎
Luchuan	𠊎
Luchuan (Daqiao)	𠊎
Bobai (Shahe)	𠊎
Bobai (Longtan)	𠊎
Bobai (Lingping)	𠊎
Bobai (Lingjiao)	𠊎
Beiliu (Tang'an)	𠊎
Mashan (Pianlian)	我
Sabah (Longchuan)	𠊎, 我
Senai (Huiyang)	𠊎
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)	𠊎
Singkawang	𠊎
Singapore (Dabu)	𠊎
Bangkok (Meixian)	𠊎
Huizhou	Jixi	我
	Shexian	我, 阿
	Wuyuan	我
	Fuliang	我
	Dexing	我
	Chun'an (Qiandaohu)	我
	Jiande (Meicheng)	黨, 卬
	Jiande (Shouchang)	我, 我儂
Jin	Taiyuan	我, 俺 †, used only by females
	Yangyuan	我, 俺
	Datong	我
	Xinzhou	我, 俺
	Lishi	我, 俺
	Linfen	我
	Changzhi	我
	Linhe	我
	Jining	我, 俺
	Hohhot	我, 俺
	Erenhot	我, 俺
	Pingshan	我, 俺
	Zhangjiakou	我
	Handan	我, 俺
	Linzhou	我, 俺
	Suide	我
Min Bei	Jian'ou	我, 俺
	Songxi	我
	Zhenghe	我
	Jianyang	我
Min Dong	Fuzhou	我, 奴
	Changle	我
	Lianjiang	我
	Fuqing	我
	Pingtan	我
	Yongtai	我
	Minqing	我
	Gutian	我
	Pingnan	我
	Luoyuan	我
	Fu'an	我
	Ningde	我
	Xiapu	我
	Zherong	我
	Shouning	我
	Zhouning	我
	Fuding	我
	Taishun	我
	Cangnan	我
	Singapore (Fuqing)	我
	Manjung (Gutian)	我
Min Nan	Xiamen	我, 阮
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	我
	Quanzhou	我, 阮
	Jinjiang	我
	Nan'an	我
	Shishi	我
	Hui'an	我
	Anxi	我
	Yongchun	我
	Dehua	我
	Zhangzhou	我, 阮
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	我
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	我
	Hua'an	我
	Nanjing	我
	Pinghe	我
	Zhangpu	我
	Yunxiao	我
	Zhao'an	我
	Dongshan	我
	Taipei	我, 阮 GT
	Taipei (Wanhua)	我
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	我
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	我
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	我
	Kaohsiung	我
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	我
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	我
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	我
	Yilan	我
	Changhua (Lukang)	我
	Taichung	我
	Taichung (Wuqi)	我
	Tainan	我
	Taitung	我
	Hsinchu	我
	Kinmen	我
	Penghu (Magong)	我
	Penang (Hokkien)	我
	Singapore (Hokkien)	我
	Manila (Hokkien)	我
	Longyan	我
	Zhangping	我
	Datian	我
	Shunchang (Pushang)	我
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	我
	Guilin (Biyange)	我
	Cangnan	我
	Chaozhou	我
	Shantou	我
	Shantou (Chenghai)	我
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	我
	Jieyang	我
	Haifeng	我
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	我
	Singapore (Teochew)	我
	Pontianak (Teochew)	我
	Wenchang	我, 儂 polite/humble
	Haikou	我
	Singapore (Hainanese)	我, 儂 polite/humble
Puxian Min	Putian	我
Puxian Min	Xianyou	我
Min Zhong	Yong'an	我
	Shaxian	我
	Yanping (Wangtai)	我
Shaojiang Min	Shaowu	伉
	Guangze	伉
	Jiangle	我
	Mingxi	我
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	我
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	我
Shehua	Jingning	我
Waxiang	Guzhang (Gaofeng)	我
Wu	Shanghai	我, 阿拉
	Shanghai (Chongming)	我
	Shanghai (Jiading)	唔, 唔儂
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	我儂
	Suzhou	我, 奴
	Suzhou (Shengze, Wujiang)	吾, 吾奴
	Wuxi	我
	Changshu	我
	Haimen	我
	Jiaxing	我奴
	Jiashan	我奴, 我
	Pinghu	我奴, 我
	Haining (Yanguan)	我
	Tongxiang	我
	Haiyan	我, 活儂, 活奴
	Changzhou	我
	Danyang	我
	Gaochun	我
	Huzhou	是我
	Changxing	我, 是我
	Anji	我
	Deqing	我
	Hangzhou	我
	Hangzhou (Yuhang)	我, 是我
	Hangzhou (Lin'an)	我, 是我, 什我
	Hangzhou (Fuyang)	我, 是我
	Hangzhou (Xiaoshan)	我
	Tonglu	我, 是我
	Tonglu (Wusheng)	我
	Shaoxing	我
	Zhuji	我
	Shengzhou	我
	Xinchang	我
	Ningbo	我, 我儂, 像我
	Zhenhai	我
	Fenghua	我
	Yuyao	我
	Cixi	我
	Xiangshan	我, 像我
	Zhoushan	伢
	Huangyan	我
	Tiantai	我
	Xianju	我
	Sanmen	我
	Linhai	我
	Wenling	我俚
	Wenzhou	我
	Yueqing	我
	Yongjia (Fenglin)	我
	Rui'an	我
	Pingyang	我
	Taishun	我
	Wencheng	我
	Lishui	我
	Qingtian	我
	Jinyun	我, 動我
	Wuyi (Liucheng)	我
	Songyang (Xiping)	我
	Yunhe	我
	Jingning	我
	Qingyuan	我
	Longquan	我
	Quzhou	我
	Suichang	我, 我儂
Jiangshan	我
Changshan	我
Kaihua	我, 我儂
Longyou	我, 我儂
Jinhua	我, 我儂
Jinhua (Tangxi)	我, 我儂
Yiwu	我
Yongkang	我
Pujiang	我
Dongyang	我
Wuyi	我, 我儂
Lanxi	我, 我儂
Shangrao	阿儂
Shangrao (Guangfeng)	阿
Yushan	阿, 儂
Xiang	Changsha	我
	Loudi	我
	Shuangfeng	我, 卬
	Quanzhou	我
Note	† - as an attributive, used without 的; GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Usage notes

Before the Three Kingdoms period, 吾 ("I") was mostly only used as a subject, a pronoun object of a negated sentence or an interrogative pronoun object (the latter two cases are where the pronoun object is placed before the verb), meaning 吾 seldom occurred as the pronoun object that is placed after a verb.

Compounds

伊吾 (Yīwú)
先吾著鞭
吾人 (wúrén)
吾伊
吾兄 (wúxiōng)
吾吾
吾塔木 (Wútǎmù)
吾子 (wúzǐ)
吾宗肖 (Wúzōngxiào)
吾徒
左支右吾
希吾勒 (Xīwúlè)

托木吾斯塘 (Tuōmù Wúsītáng)
支吾 (zhīwú)
支支吾吾 (zhīzhīwúwú)
故吾
昆吾
江左夷吾
英吾斯塘 (Yīngwúsītáng)
金吾 (jīnwú)
金吾不禁
余吾
吾儕／吾侪 (wúchái)
吾合沙魯／吾合沙鲁 (Wúhéshālǔ)

吾愛／吾爱
吾當／吾当 (wúdāng)
吾輩／吾辈 (wúbèi)
吾道東矣／吾道东矣
唯吾獨尊／唯吾独尊
執金吾／执金吾 (zhí jīnwú)
支吾其詞／支吾其词 (zhīwuqící)
新疆維吾爾自治區／新疆维吾尔自治区 (Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū)
東支西吾／东支西吾
維吾爾／维吾尔 (Wéiwú'ěr)
蒼吾讓兄／苍吾让兄
薩勒吾則克／萨勒吾则克 (Sàlèwúzékè)

Pronunciation 2

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yá (ya²)
(Zhuyin): ㄧㄚˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yá
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄚˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yá
  - Wade–Giles: ya²
  - Yale: yá
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ya
  - Palladius: я (ja)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jä³⁵/

Middle Chinese: /ŋˠa/

Rime
Character	吾
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	五加切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋˠa/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋᵚa/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋa/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋaɨ/
Li Rong	/ŋa/
Wang Li	/ŋa/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋa/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yá
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngaa⁴

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*ŋraː/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吾
Reading #	1/2
No.	13135
Phonetic component	五
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	牙
Old Chinese	/*ŋraː/
Notes	允吾漢縣

Definitions

吾

Only used in 允吾 (yányá; qiānyá). A county established during the Western Han, disestablished during the Northern Wei, and briefly reestablished during the Sui dynasty

Pronunciation 3

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yú (yu²)
(Zhuyin): ㄩˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yú
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yú
  - Wade–Giles: yü²
  - Yale: yú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yu
  - Palladius: юй (juj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵/

Definitions

吾

Only used in 吾吾.

Japanese

Kanji

吾

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

I, me

Readings

Go-on: ぐ (gu)
Kan-on: ご (go)
Kun: われ (ware, 吾); わが (waga, 吾が); あ (a, 吾); あが (aga, 吾)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
吾
われ Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

Kanji in this term
吾
わ Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 吾 – see the following entry.

【我われ】6	[pronoun] first person singular pronoun: I, me, oneself [pronoun] second person singular pronoun: you
【我わ】6	[pronoun] (obsolete or dialect) first-person personal pronoun: I, me

(This term, 吾, is an alternative spelling of the above terms.)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
吾
あれ Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 吾 – see the following entry.

【あれ】	[pronoun] (obsolete) first-person personal pronoun: I, me Alternative spellings 吾, 我

(This term, 吾, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
吾
あ Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 吾 – see the following entry.

【あ】H	[pronoun] (obsolete) first-person personal pronoun: I, me Alternative spellings 吾, 我

(This term, 吾, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

吾 • (o) (hangeul 오, revised o, McCune–Reischauer o)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Old Japanese

Pronoun

吾 (wa) (kana わ)

I, oneself

Descendants

Satsugū dialect: おい (oi)

Vietnamese

Han character

吾: Hán Nôm readings: ngô, ngo

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

Thiều Chửu : Hán Việt Tự Điển Hà Nội 1942
Trần Văn Chánh: Từ Điển Hán Việt NXB Trẻ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999
Vũ Văn Kính: Đại Tự Điển Chữ Nôm, NXB Văn Nghệ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999