我われ

pronoun

I; me

First-person pronoun. In modern Japanese, われ is formal, literary, or used in set phrases. In everyday speech, 私 (わたし) or 僕 (ぼく) are more common.

• 我われはこの道みちを選えらんだ。

  I have chosen this path.

• 我われこそが真しん実じつを知しっている。

  I am the one who knows the truth.

pronoun

oneself

Only with reading われ / わ

Used reflexively or in philosophical contexts. Common in expressions like 我を忘れる (lose oneself) or 我に返る (come to one's senses).

• 彼かれは怒いかりで我われを忘わすれた。

  He lost himself in anger.

• 我われに返かえって周まわりを見み渡わたした。

  I came to my senses and looked around.

pronoun

you (archaic)

Only with reading われ / わ

Archaic second-person pronoun, used from a position of superiority or familiarity. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.

• 古こ語ごでは「我われ」が「おまえ」の意い味みで使つかわれた。

  In classical Japanese, 我 was used to mean 'you'.

prefix

prefix: familiar/contemptuous (archaic)

Only with reading わ

Archaic prefix わ- attached to names or nouns to express familiarity or contempt. Only found in old texts; not productive in modern Japanese.

• 「わが君きみ」の「わ」は親したしみを表あらわす古ふるい接せっ頭とう語ごだ。

  The わ in わが君 is an old prefix expressing familiarity.