CHARACTER HOME PAGE

I, me (for men)
Kanji 1970

Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.

Synopsis

Some sources call 俺 rough, arrogant, vulgar, and disagreeable. Others say it is informal and intimate. It conveys manliness, which could imply control over emotions, but it is also the pronoun men use when they lose their cool. All these contradictory statements are true! The mere idea of adding 俺 to the Joyo list provoked a bitter battle. Find out how and why men use this charged word.

Revision history:

Jan. 28, 2021:

p. 2: Etymology Box: Added the new Henshall etymology.
p. 3 sidebar: Rewrote this a bit, eliminating info. that felt extraneous.
p. 7: Fixed a broken link.
p. 11: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
 

Sept. 5, 2014: Originally published.

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Kanji PDF
Mini Profile
JOYO ON-YOMI
None
JOYO KUN-YOMI
おれ
STROKES10
RADICAL亻 (9: person)
JLPTN1
HALPERN-/92
HENSHALL-/1073
SPAHN2a8.25