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.
    • 2004 September 8, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第(だい)34(さんじゅうよん)話(わ)　Ｌｅｔ’ｓ(レッツ) お見(み)舞(ま)い [Chapter 34: Let’s Go for a Hospital Visit]”, in 武(ブ)装(ソウ)錬(レン)金(キン) [Armed Alchemy], volume 4, Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, pages 161–162:
      いいえ　俺(おれ)が勝(か)ちたいのは自(じ)分(ぶん)です
      Īe ore ga kachitai no wa jibun desu
      No, the one I want to beat is myself
  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 (uchi) 49% First name 26% あたし (atashi) 15%
In the family First name 33% あたし (atashi) 29% うち (uchi) 23%
In a class わたし (watashi) 86% あたし (atashi) 7% うち (uchi) 6%
To an unknown visitor わたし (watashi) 75% あたし (atashi), first name, うち (uchi) 8% each
To the class teacher わたし (watashi) 66% First name 13% あたし (atashi) 9%
Male To friends おれ (ore) 72% ぼく (boku) 19% First name 4%
In the family おれ (ore) 62% ぼく (boku) 23% うち (uchi) 6%
In a class ぼく (boku) 85% おれ (ore) 13% First name, nickname 1% each
To an unknown visitor ぼく (boku) 64% おれ (ore) 26% First name 4%
To the class teacher ぼく (boku) 67% おれ (ore) 27% First name 3%
First-person pronouns by university students (2009)
Speaker Situation 1 2 3
Female To friends うち (uchi) 39% あたし (atashi) 30% わたし (watashi) 22%
In the family あたし (atashi) 28% First name 27% うち (uchi) 18%
In a class わたし (watashi) 89% あたし (atashi) 7% 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 3%
To an unknown visitor わたし (watashi) 81% あたし (atashi) 10% 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 6%
To the class teacher わたし (watashi) 77% あたし (atashi) 17% 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 7%
Male To friends おれ (ore) 87% うち (uchi) 4% わたし (watashi), 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 2% each
In the family おれ (ore) 88% ぼく (boku), 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 5% each
In a class わたし (watashi) 48% 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 28% ぼく (boku) 22%
To an unknown visitor ぼく (boku) 36% 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 29% わたし (watashi) 22%
To the class teacher 自分(じぶん) (jibun) 38% ぼく (boku) 29% わたし (watashi) 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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