pronoun
Formal, literary, or rhetorical first-person plural. It often sounds collective and emphatic, as in speeches, slogans, songs, or elevated writing, rather than everyday casual conversation.
我らは最後まであきらめない。
We will not give up until the end.
これは我らの責任だ。
This is our responsibility.
pronoun
Poetic first-person singular use. This is rare in modern ordinary speech; it is mainly something to recognize in poetry or stylized writing.
この詩の「我ら」は、作者自身を指す一人称として読める。
The “warera” in this poem can be read as a first-person pronoun referring to the author themself.
pronoun
you; you lot
Rough colloquial address to a group of equals or inferiors. It is not a neutral way to say “you”; it can sound brusque, confrontational, or old-fashioned depending on context.
親方は若い衆に「われら、何をぐずぐずしている」と怒鳴った。
The boss shouted at the young workers, “What are you lot dawdling for?”
Neutral everyday “we/us”; much safer in ordinary conversation than the formal or literary 我ら.
Formal “we/us,” common in speeches, business, and writing; usually less poetic or rallying in tone than 我ら.
Common rough second-person plural “you guys/you lot”; the second-person use of 我ら is more limited and can sound older or more stylized.
Native Japanese 我・吾（われ, “I; oneself”） plus the plural or collective suffix ら. The kanji spellings conventionally represent the pronoun; the exact history of the rarer poetic and second-person uses is not specified.