我

我

我 U+6211, 我 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6211 ← 成 [U+6210] CJK Unified Ideographs 戒 → [U+6212]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Stroke order (Taiwan)

Han character

我 (Kangxi radical 62, 戈+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 竹手戈 (HQI), four-corner 2355₀, composition ⿻𠂌戈)

Derived characters

• 俄, 哦, 娥, 峨, 㧴, 涐, 𫠰, 𣇕, 𬚾, 𪲘, 𤘋, 珴, 𫨎, 𤯫, 皒, 睋, 硪, 䄉, 𬓬, 𬚚, 𫇇, 𦩆, 蛾, 𧚄, 𪱤, 𬻪, 誐, 𧶕, 䞲, 𨁟, 𨉐, 鋨(锇), 𭔒, 𭭯, 餓(饿), 𭧦, 騀, 𩷦, 䳘, 𤄣, 𪘐
• 𬪂, 𨿍, 𡦛, 𢧲, 𩒰, 𩣣, 鵝(鹅), 𠩙, 𡱫, 峩, 莪, 𬕆, 義, 𡻍, 𩭝, 𦾒, 𡽥, 䳗, 𪭗, 𫪋, 𬐡, 䖸, 𩣨, 鵞, 𧒎, 𢐯, 𢐱, 𦏡, 𥪺

Descendants

• 𛀜 (Hentaigana)

References

• KangXi: page 412, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11545
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1401, character 2
• Unihan data for U+6211

Further reading

• 我 on Wikidata.Wikidata

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		我
alternative forms		吾 Wu 𠨂 𢦐 𢦓 𢦖 吾 Wu 𠨂 𢦐 𢦓 𢦖 𢦠 𨈟 𩇶

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 我
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 (我) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
莪	*ŋaːl
哦	*ŋaːl
娥	*ŋaːl
峨	*ŋaːl
峩	*ŋaːl
鵝	*ŋaːl
俄	*ŋaːl
蛾	*ŋaːl, *ŋralʔ
睋	*ŋaːl
涐	*ŋaːl
誐	*ŋaːl
硪	*ŋaːl, *ŋaːlʔ
我	*ŋaːlʔ
騀	*ŋaːlʔ
餓	*ŋaːls
義	*ŋrals
儀	*ŋral
轙	*ŋral, *ŋralʔ
檥	*ŋral, *ŋralʔ
蟻	*ŋralʔ
艤	*ŋralʔ
礒	*ŋralʔ
羛	*ŋralʔ, *hŋral
議	*ŋrals
犧	*hŋral
曦	*hŋral
羲	*hŋral

A pictogram (象形) of a rake-like tool or weapon (note the oracle bone script form); Guo Moruo considers it to be the original character for 錡 (OC *ɡral, “a kind of axe or chisel”). Jao & Zeng (1985, pp. 289–290) conjecture about its similarity to a kind of three-bladed polearm found at archaeological sites; cf. 戈 (“polearm with one blade”). It was already borrowed for sound to mean "I" (in the sense of "first-person subject") since the oracle bone script.

Folk etymology considers it to be an ideograph of a hand (手) holding a weapon (戈) to protect oneself.

Some have suggested a contrast with 爾, interpreting the latter as a weapon with tip pointing outward. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa-j ~ ka. Cognate with 吾 (OC *ŋaː), Burmese ငါ (nga, “I”), Hakka 𠊎 (ngài). The expected Mandarin pronunciation is ě (now only found in a few Northern dialects); wǒ is "a col[loquial] archaism" (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wǒ, ě (wo³, e³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄛˇ, ㄜˇ

  (Chengdu, SP): ngo³

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): вә (və, II)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): ngo⁵

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngoi¹, ngo⁴, ngoi⁴

• Gan (Wiktionary): ngo³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngô

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngo¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): ghe²
• Min Bei (KCR): uòi / nguòi
• Min Dong (BUC): nguāi / ngō̤

• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): góa / óa / ngó͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ua² / ngo²

• Wu (Wiktionary): ngu (T3); hhu (T3)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): ngo³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, vernacular, standard)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄛˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǒ
    • Wade–Giles: wo³
    • Yale: wǒ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woo
    • Palladius: во (vo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ²¹⁴/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, literary, rare variant)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ě
    • Zhuyin: ㄜˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ě
    • Wade–Giles: o³
    • Yale: ě
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ee
    • Palladius: э (e)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɤ²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ngo³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ngo
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo⁵³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: вә (və, II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /və⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngo⁵
    • Yale: ngóh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngo⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngo⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔː¹³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngoi¹, ngo⁴, ngoi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡᵘɔi³³/, /ᵑɡᵘɔ²¹/, /ᵑɡᵘɔi²¹/

Note:

• ngoi1 - vernacular (“I; my”);
• ngo4 - literary (“I”);
• ngoi4 - “we; our”.

• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ngo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngô
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngo´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngo¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋo²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngo¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋo⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ghe²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɣɤ⁵³/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: uòi / nguòi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uɛ⁴²/, /ŋuɛ⁴²/

Note:

• uòi - vernacular;
• nguòi - literary.

• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: nguāi / ngō̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋuai³³/, /ŋo³³/

Note:

• nguāi - vernacular;
• ngō̤ - literary.

• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Jinjiang, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: góa
    • Tâi-lô: guá
    • Phofsit Daibuun: goar
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /ɡua⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ɡua⁵³/
    • IPA (Singapore): /ɡua⁴²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡua⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Penang, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: óa
    • Tâi-lô: uá
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oar
    • IPA (Singapore): /ua⁴²/
    • IPA (Penang): /ua⁴⁴⁵/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngó͘
    • Tâi-lô: ngóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngor
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ŋɔ̃⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ŋɔ̃⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃⁴¹/

Note:

• góa/óa - vernacular;
• ngó͘ - literary.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ua² / ngo²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: uá / ngó
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ua⁵²/, /ŋo⁵²/

Note:

• ua2 - vernacular;
• ngo2 - literary.

• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: ngu (T3); hhu (T3)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋv̩ʷ²³/, /ɦv̩ʷ²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ngo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo⁴¹/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 我
Mandarin	Beijing	/uo²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/vɤ³¹²/
	Tianjin	/uo²¹³/
	Jinan	/ɤ⁵⁵/ /ŋɤ⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/uə⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/uo⁵³/
	Xi'an	/ŋɤ⁵³/
	Xining	/nɔ⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/və⁴²/
	Lanzhou	/və⁴⁴/
	Ürümqi	/vɤ⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/ŋo⁴²/ /o⁴²/
	Chengdu	/ŋo⁵³/
	Guiyang	/ŋo⁴²/
	Kunming	/o⁵³/
	Nanjing	/o²¹²/
	Hefei	/ʊ²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɣɤ⁵³/
	Pingyao
	Hohhot	/vɤ⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/ŋu¹²³/ /ɦu¹²³/
	Suzhou	/ŋəu⁴⁴/ /ŋəu²³/
	Hangzhou	/ŋou⁵¹/
	Wenzhou	/ŋ³⁴/
Hui	Shexian
	Tunxi
Xiang	Changsha	/ŋo⁴¹/
	Xiangtan
Gan	Nanchang	/ŋo²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/ŋai¹¹/ /ŋɔ⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/ŋɔ³⁵/
	Nanning	/ŋɔ³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/ŋɔ²³/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/ɡua⁵¹/ 文 /ŋɔ̃⁵¹/ 文
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/ŋuai³¹/ 白 /ŋɔ³¹/ 文
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/ŋuɛ⁴²/ 白 /uɛ⁴²/ 文
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/o⁵³/ 白 /ŋua⁵³/ 文
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/va²¹³/ 白 /ŋo²¹³/ 文

---

• Middle Chinese: /ŋɑ^X/

Rime
Character	我
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	五可切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋɑX/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋɑX/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋɑX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋaX/
Li Rong	/ŋɑX/
Wang Li	/ŋɑX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋɑX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ě
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngo5

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋˤajʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋaːlʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	我
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wǒ
Middle Chinese	‹ ngaX ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋˁajʔ/
English	we, I
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	我
Reading #	1/1
No.	13041
Phonetic component	我
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	我
Old Chinese	/*ŋaːlʔ/
Notes	甲金文象兵器， 周原卜辭：王以我枚單（殫）兕

Definitions

我

1. I; me; my

   認識你我真高興。／认识你我真高兴。  ―  Rènshí nǐ wǒ zhēn gāoxìng.  ―  I am pleased to meet you.

   我哥哥每日返工都遲到。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   我哥哥每日返工都迟到。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   ngo⁵ go¹ go¹ mui⁵ jat⁶ faan¹ gung¹ dou¹ ci⁴ dou³. [Jyutping]

   My brother is late for work every day.

   今朝公司有事體，我先走了。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   今朝公司有事体，我先走了。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   [t͡ɕɪɲ⁵⁵ t͡sɔ²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹ ɦiɜ³³  z̥z̩²² tʰi⁴⁴ ŋv̩ʷ²³ ɕi⁵³ t͡sɜ³³ ləʔ⁴⁴] [IPA]

   Today I have things to do in the company, (so) I'm leaving early (lit. ahead).

2. (literary, formal or dialectal) we; us; our

   我國／我国  ―  wǒguó  ―  our country

   我市  ―  wǒshì  ―  our city

3. (obsolete) to stubbornly hold to one's own opinion
4. (obsolete) to kill
5. (obsolete) tilted
6. a surname

Synonyms

• See 我/derived terms § I (Chinese).

See also

Standard Mandarin Chinese personal pronouns
Person		Singular	Plural
1st	—	我 (wǒ)	我們／我们 (wǒmen)
	inclusive		咱們／咱们 (zánmen)
2nd	male/indefinite	你 (nǐ)	你們／你们 (nǐmen)
	female	妳／你 (nǐ)	妳們／你们 (nǐmen)
	deity	祢 (nǐ)	祢們／祢们 (nǐmen)
	polite	您 (nín)	你們／你们 (nǐmen) 您們／您们 (nínmen)
3rd	male/indefinite	他 (tā)	他們／他们 (tāmen)
	female	她 (tā)	她們／她们 (tāmen)
	deity	祂 (tā)	祂們／祂们 (tāmen)
	animal	牠／它 (tā)	牠們／它们 (tāmen)
	inanimate	它 (tā)	它們／它们 (tāmen)

Compounds

• See 我/derived terms § I (Chinese).

Descendants

• See 我/derived terms § I (Chinese).

References

• “我”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學／香港中文大学 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01473
• “Entry #3153”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

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Japanese

Kanji

我

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: が (ga, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: が (ga, Jōyō)
• Kun: わ (wa, 我, Jōyō); われ (ware, 我, Jōyō)

Compounds

• 我(が)楽(らく)多(た) (garakuta)
• 怪我(けが) (kega)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
我
われ Grade: 6
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
我 吾

From Old Japanese,[1] as the long form of 我 (wa) below.

Compound of 我 (wa, see below) +‎ れ (-re, nominalizing suffix).

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) わ​れ [wáꜜrè] (Atamadaka – [1])[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ɰᵝa̠ɾe̞]

Pronoun

我(われ) • (ware) 

1. first person singular pronoun: I, me, oneself
2. second person singular pronoun: you

Usage notes

In modern Japanese, most often encountered in the plural forms 我等 (warera) and 我我 (wareware, “we, us”).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 我(われ)我(われ), 我々(われわれ) (wareware)
• 我(われ)不知(しらず) (ware shirazu)
• 我(われ)ながら (warenagara)
• 我(われ)にもあらず (ware ni mo arazu)
• 我等(われら), 我(われ)ら (warera, “we, us”)

See also

Classical Japanese pronouns and demonstratives

	a-/wa- “I, we” (first person)	na-/-ma- “you, ye, thou” (second person)	k- “this” (close to speaker)	s- “that” (close to listener)	a-/ka- “that over there” (far from both)	i-/ta-/nani- “who, what, where, how, when” (interrogative)	ono- “oneself” (reflexive)
Person	あ (a) あれ (are) わ (wa) われ (ware) まろ (maro)	な (na) なれ (nare) なんぢ (nanji) まし (mashi) いまし (imashi) みまし (mimashi) きみ (kimi)	こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	た (ta) たれ (tare) なにがし (nanigashi)	おの (ono) おのれ (onore)
Thing			こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	いづれ (izure) なに (nani)
Location			ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あしこ (ashiko) かしこ (kashiko)	いづく (izuku) いづこ (izuko) いどこ (idoko) どこ (doko)
Direction			こち (kochi) こなた (konata)	そち (sochi) そなた (sonata)	あち (achi) あなた (anata) かなた (kanata)	いづち (izuchi) いづら (izura) いづかた (izukata)
Manner			か (ka) かく (kaku) かくて (kakute) かう (kō)	さ (sa) さて (sate) しか (shika)		いか (ika)
Time						いつ (itsu)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
我
わ Grade: 6
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
我 吾

From Old Japanese 我 (wa).[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) わ​ [wáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɰᵝa̠]

Pronoun

我(わ) • (wa) 

1. (obsolete or dialect) first-person personal pronoun: I, me
   • 棟方志功

     わだばゴッホになる

     wa daba gohho ni naru

     (Aomori) I'll be a Gogh

Usage notes

In modern Japanese, most often encountered in fossilized phrases in combination with the Old Japanese possessive particle が (ga), such as 我が儘 (wagamama, “selfish; selfishness”, literally “just as I like”) or 我が国 (wagakuni, “my country, my homeland → Japan”).

Derived terms

• 我(わ)が (waga)
• 私(わたくし) (watakushi)

See also

Classical Japanese pronouns and demonstratives

	a-/wa- “I, we” (first person)	na-/-ma- “you, ye, thou” (second person)	k- “this” (close to speaker)	s- “that” (close to listener)	a-/ka- “that over there” (far from both)	i-/ta-/nani- “who, what, where, how, when” (interrogative)	ono- “oneself” (reflexive)
Person	あ (a) あれ (are) わ (wa) われ (ware) まろ (maro)	な (na) なれ (nare) なんぢ (nanji) まし (mashi) いまし (imashi) みまし (mimashi) きみ (kimi)	こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	た (ta) たれ (tare) なにがし (nanigashi)	おの (ono) おのれ (onore)
Thing			こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	いづれ (izure) なに (nani)
Location			ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あしこ (ashiko) かしこ (kashiko)	いづく (izuku) いづこ (izuko) いどこ (idoko) どこ (doko)
Direction			こち (kochi) こなた (konata)	そち (sochi) そなた (sonata)	あち (achi) あなた (anata) かなた (kanata)	いづち (izuchi) いづら (izura) いづかた (izukata)
Manner			か (ka) かく (kaku) かくて (kakute) かう (kō)	さ (sa) さて (sate) しか (shika)		いか (ika)
Time						いつ (itsu)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
我
わ(が) Grade: 6
kun’yomi

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

【我わが】 [pronoun] (archaic, now literary) my [pronoun] (archaic, now literary) our Alternative spellings 吾が, 我

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

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
我
あ Grade: 6
kun’yomi

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

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

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

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
我
あれ Grade: 6
kun’yomi

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

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

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

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
我
が Grade: 6
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 我 (MC ŋɑ^X).

The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit आत्मन् (ātman, “self”).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
• (Tokyo) が [gà] (Heiban – [0])[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠]

Noun

我(が) • (ga) 

1. the ego, self
2. self-righteousness
3. (Buddhism) obstinacy

   Antonym: 無我 (muga)

4. (Hinduism) atman

   Synonym: アートマン (ātoman)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我が強い¦が が つよい⦄⦄
• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我を折る¦が を おる⦄⦄
• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我を立てる¦が を たてる⦄⦄
• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我を通す¦が を とおす⦄⦄
• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我を張る¦が を はる⦄⦄
• ⦃⦃ja-r¦我を折る¦が を おる⦄⦄

Affix

我(が) • (ga) 

1. self, oneself, myself
2. egotism, selfishness
3. (Buddhism) atman

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 我(が)意(い) (gai)
• 我(が)見(けん) (gaken)
• 我(が)執(しゅう) (gashū)
• 我(が)田(でん)引(いん)水(すい) (gaden'insui)
• 我(が)慢(まん) (gaman)
• 我(が)利(り) (gari)
• 我(が)流(りゅう) (garyū)
• 個(こ)我(が) (koga)
• 自(じ)我(が) (jiga)
• 他(た)我(が) (taga)
• 大(たい)我(が) (taiga), 大(だい)我(が) (daiga)
• 彼(ひ)我(が) (higa)
• 忘(ぼう)我(が) (bōga)
• 没(ぼつ)我(が) (botsuga)

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

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Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 我 (MC ŋɑ^X).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᅌᅡᆼ〯 (Yale: ngǎ)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527	나 (Yale: nà)	아〯 (Yale: ǎ)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [a̠(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [아(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Wikisource我 (eumhun 나 아 (na a))

1. (literary) Hanja form^? of 아 (“I; me”).
2. (literary) Hanja form^? of 아 (“we; us; our”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 아견 (我見, agyeon)
• 아국 (我國, aguk)
• 아만 (我慢, aman)
• 아조 (我朝, ajo)
• 무아 (無我, mua)
• 자아 (自我, jaa)
• 전아 (全我, jeona)
• 아전인수 (我田引水, ajeoninsu)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

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Okinawan

Kanji

我

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• On: がー (gā)
• Kun: わん (wan, 我ん)

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Old Japanese

Alternative forms

• 吾

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *wa.

Pronoun

我 (wa) (kana わ)

1. first-person personal pronoun: I, me

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Derived terms

• 我が (waga)

Descendants

• Japanese: 我 (wa)

Etymology 2

From 我 (wa, see above) +‎ れ (-re, “thing”, nominalizing suffix).

Pronoun

我 (ware) (kana われ)

1. first-person personal pronoun: I, me, oneself

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Descendants

• Japanese: 我 (ware)

Etymology 3

Likely a compound of 我 (wa, see above) +‎ ろ (-ro, suffix indicating affection).

Pronoun

我 (waro₂) (kana わろ)

1. (regional, Southern Eastern Old Japanese) first person singular pronoun: I, me

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Etymology 4

The eastern variant of 我 (ware).[1] Appears to be 我 (wa) + ぬ (nu), appearing here not as the negative verb auxiliary but rather as a suffixing element of uncertain meaning. Appears in the Man'yōshū, volume 14 poem 3476.[2]

Pronoun

我 (wanu) (kana わぬ)

1. (regional, Northern Eastern Old Japanese) first person personal pronoun: I, me, oneself

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Etymology 5

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronoun

我 (a) (kana あ)

1. first-person singular pronoun: I, me

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Derived terms

• 我が (aga)

Descendants

• Japanese: あ (a)

Etymology 6

From 我 (a, see above) +‎ れ (-re, nominalizing suffix).

Pronoun

我 (are) (kana あれ)

1. first-person singular pronoun: I, me

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:我.

Descendants

• Japanese: あれ (are)

References

1. “我・吾”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 14, poem 3476), text available online here

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Vietnamese

Han character

我: Hán Việt readings: ngã[1][2][3][4], ngả (語(ngữ)可(khả)切(thiết))[5]
我: Nôm readings: ngả[1][2][3][6][5][4][7], ngã[1][2][3][5][4][7]

1. chữ Hán form of ngã, ngả (“(archaic) I; me”).
2. Nôm form of ngả (“way; direction”).
3. Nôm form of ngã (“to fall; to slip”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 我朝 (ngã triều)
• 無我 (vô ngã)

References

1. Nguyễn (2014).
2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
3. Trần (2004).
4. Génibrel (1898).
5. Bonet (1899).
6. Hồ (1976).
7. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).