自分

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Chinese

 
from; self; oneself
from; self; oneself; since
 
to divide; minute; (a measure word)
to divide; minute; (a measure word); (a unit of leng)
trad. (自分) 自 分
simp. #(自分) 自 分

Pronunciation

Verb

自分

  1. (literary) to evaluate oneself; to assess oneself; to self-estimate

Japanese

Kanji in this term
自 分
じ
Grade: 2 		ぶん
Grade: 2
goon

Pronunciation

Noun

自(じ)分(ぶん) • (jibun) 

  1. oneself
    過(か)去(こ)とは違(ちが)う自(じ)分(ぶん)
    kako to wa chigau jibun
    a self who is different from the past
    太(た)郎(ろう)は自(じ)分(ぶん)を責(せ)めた。
    Tarō wa jibun o semeta.
    Taro blamed himself.
  2. first-person pronoun: I, me (often shows the speaker's lower position in a hierarchy than the addressee)
  3. (Kansai) you

Usage notes

  • 自(じ)分(ぶん) (jibun) means “oneself”, with 自(じ)分(ぶん)で (jibun de) meaning “by oneself, by one’s own efforts”. By contrast, 一(ひと)人(り)で and 独(ひと)りで (hitori de) mean rather “alone”. Compare doing an assignment by oneself (without help) versus doing an assignment alone (without any other person around).

Synonyms

See also

Japanese first-person pronouns

Japanese first-person pronouns by speakers and situations according to Yuko Saegusa, Concerning the First Personal Pronoun of Native Japanese Speakers (2009)

First-person pronouns by elementary school pupils (2008)
Speaker Situation 1 2 3
Female To friends うち 49% First name 26% あたし 15%
In the family First name 33% あたし 29% うち 23%
In a class わたし 86% あたし 7% うち 6%
To an unknown visitor わたし 75% あたし, first name, うち 8% each
To the class teacher わたし 66% First name 13% あたし 9%
Male To friends おれ 72% ぼく 19% First name 4%
In the family おれ 62% ぼく 23% うち 6%
In a class ぼく 85% おれ 13% First name, nickname 1% each
To an unknown visitor ぼく 64% おれ 26% First name 4%
To the class teacher ぼく 67% おれ 27% First name 3%
First-person pronouns by university students (2009)
Speaker Situation 1 2 3
Female To friends うち 39% あたし 30% わたし 22%
In the family あたし 28% First name 27% うち 18%
In a class わたし 89% あたし 7% 自分 3%
To an unknown visitor わたし 81% あたし 10% 自分 6%
To the class teacher わたし 77% あたし 17% 自分 7%
Male To friends おれ 87% うち 4% わたし, 自分 2% each
In the family おれ 88% ぼく, 自分 5% each
In a class わたし 48% 自分 28% ぼく 22%
To an unknown visitor ぼく 36% 自分 29% わたし 22%
To the class teacher 自分 38% ぼく 29% わたし 22%

References

  • 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
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