私
private, I, me
Readings
On'yomi
- シ
Kun'yomi
- わたくし
- わたし
Meaning
私 centers on what belongs to the self: something private or personal. The first-person pronoun senses (I, me) are natural extensions of that self-focused idea.
Most common words using 私
24 of 199- 私わたしN5
I; me
- 私あたしN1
I; me
- 私立しりつN3
private (establishment)
- 私的してき
private; personal
- 私服しふく
ordinary clothes (i.e. non-uniform); plain clothes; civilian clothes; casual wear; mufti
- 私物しぶつN1
private property; personal belongings; personal effects
- 私生活しせいかつ
private life
- 私学しがく
private (non-governmental) school (college, university)
- 私鉄してつN3
private railway
- 公私こうしN1
public and private matters; official and personal affairs; professional and personal lives
- 私大しだい
private university
- 私用しようN1
personal use; private use
- 私見しけん
personal opinion
- 私事しじ
personal affairs; private matter
- 私設しせつ
private
- 私有しゆうN1
private ownership
- 私邸してい
private residence
- 私企業しきぎょう
private enterprise
- 私語しご
whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
- 私費しひN1
private expense
- 私書箱ししょばこ
post office box
- 私塾しじゅく
small private school (esp. for cramming)
- 私文書しぶんしょ
private document
- 私案しあん
private plan; one's own plan
Study
Etymology
私 originally combined 禾 (grain) with 厶, which is thought to represent a private or selfish element. The character came to mean private or personal, and later developed first-person pronoun uses in Japanese.
Meaning mnemonic
Grain 禾 kept to oneself 厶 is private. Picture a farmer hiding a portion of the harvest for personal use—that's 私, private and me.
Reading mnemonic
For シ, imagine a private stash of grain hidden under a sheet: sheet -> シ, and the sheet keeps the grain private.