private affairs; personal matter
Refers to matters that are personal or private, as opposed to public (公). Often used in formal or written contexts, and commonly contrasted with 公 (おおやけ).
See also: 公
It is necessary to distinguish between public and private matters.
The two had deep ties that spanned both their public and private lives.
He prioritized official duties, ignoring personal feelings.
He set aside his personal interests and devoted himself to the public good.
私 (し) means 'private affairs' in formal writing, whereas 私 (わたし) is the everyday first-person pronoun 'I/me'; they share kanji but differ completely in reading and meaning.
private (establishment)
private; personal
ordinary clothes; plain clothes; casual wear · plainclothes police officer
private property; personal belongings
private life; personal life
The kanji 私 originally meant 'private' or 'selfish' in Chinese, and this meaning was adopted into Japanese. The reading し is the on'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading).
private individual; private citizen
private university
personal use; private use · private business; personal business
personal opinion; one's own view
personal affairs; private matter · personal secret; privacy
private; privately established
self-interest; selfish desire
private ownership; privately owned
private funds; personal property
personal feelings; private emotions · self-interest; personal gain
private residence
self-interest; personal profit
vigilantism; lynching; extrajudicial punishment
one's own pocket; personal profit
private road; driveway
private army; private soldiers
personal grudge; personal enmity
private enterprise; private company
whispering; private talk; talking during class
private expense; personal funds; one's own expense
private letter; personal message · secret correspondence; confidential report
unselfish; selfless; disinterested