Onyomi: シ · Kunyomi: わたくし, わたし · Meanings: I, me, private
Kanji for i, me, private
Fast lookup with examples and clean stroke-order visualization.
Experience 私 in 3D! View the complete 3D Kanji model to understand its shape and stroke depth from every angle. Click the button below to see 私 in 3D and explore how each stroke forms this character.
Please support us by sharing!
The kanji 私 combines the “grain” radical (禾) with the component for “private” or “individual” (厶), symbolizing something personal, like privately owned crops. In ancient times, it represented something belonging to oneself rather than to the community. 私 came to mean I, me, or private, capturing individuality and personal ownership.
Grain with a mark of ownership — 私 means I, me, or private.
Imagine holding your own bundle of rice, saying “this is mine” — that’s 私, the kanji for I, me, or private.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 私 | わたし | I, me | common JLPT-N5 Pronoun |
| 私 | あたし | I, me | common JLPT-N1 Pronoun |
| 儂 | わし | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | わたくし | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | し | private affairs, personal matter | Noun |
| 私 | わい | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | わたい | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | あっし | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | あたい | I, me | Pronoun |
| 私 | わて | I, me | Pronoun |