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迂生 (うせい, usei) Japanese meaning: I | Kotomora

迂う生せい

う

せ

い

Meanings

1

I; me; my humble self

archaichumble (kenjougo)›male term, language, or name

Archaic humble first-person pronoun used by men in written correspondence. Not used in modern spoken Japanese.

迂う生せいは先せん日じつ、貴き殿でんの書しょ状じょうを拝はい受じゅいたしました。
I, my humble self, received your letter the other day.

Kanji

迂roundabout way
生life, genuine, birth

Related words

私わたくし
Standard formal/humble first-person pronoun used in modern Japanese, unlike the archaic 迂生.
僕ぼく
Common casual first-person pronoun for men, whereas 迂生 is an archaic humble form used only in letters.

Etymology

The kanji 迂 means 'roundabout' or 'foolish', and 生 means 'life' or 'birth'. Together they form a self-deprecating humble expression. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a pattern of humble pronouns using self-effacing kanji.