Seven ways to say “you” in Japanese
Japanese uses different levels of politeness for dealing with specific situations. The vocabulary you use when speaking to your boss is different when speaking to your friends or children. One telling example of the importance the Japanese place on respect and hierarchy is found in the seven different words they have for saying “you”. Here are some examples.
あなた Anata
This is the politest way to say you in Japanese. Housewives also use “anata” when talking to their husbands. The plural form is “anatagata”. In some cases it can aso be a little rude, for example: あなたはどう思いますか – anata wa dou omoimasu ka – What do you think,is sometimes best not used when talking to your boss. Instead どう思いますか or 田中さんはどう思いますか would be better where you simply omit the “anata” and use the person’s name.
君 Kimi
Kimi is a familiar term used between friends. It is also used when speaking to children. The plural form is “kimitachi” usually used when speaking to a group of children.
お前 Omae
Omae is usually used by men between very good friends. As it is quite an abrupt way of saying “you” it can vary from friendly and casual to rude depending on the situation and tone you use.
あんた Anta
Anta is a little old fashioned these days so it is usually used by older people when speaking to friends or younger people.
われ Ware
Now we are getting into the realms of fighting talk. Ware actually has a few meanings but in terms of “you” it is very abrupt and quite rude. it is usually used by angry men in Osaka.
てめえ Temee
Again, this is quite an aggressive way to say “you” usually used by men when tempers are flaring.
貴様 Kisama
Interestingly enough, kisama was originally used as a term of respect. “SAMA” on its own is used as a term of respect after someone’s name. For example ありがとうございます田中様 – arigatou gozaimasu tanaka sama – Thank you very much Mr Tanaka. However, KISAMA is close to calling someone a wretch in English and best avoided if you are not looklng for a fight.
So good luck in working out which word to use. When in doubt ANATA is usually a good bet. It may be a mistake but you certainly won’t offened anybody.
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