The use of 'watashi' in Japanese

[kirakira]

Originally Posted by yuukilovesbrownies

I have a question since we're on the subject of pronouns. When is it appropriate to use 僕(ぼく) and 俺(おれ)? I know 俺 can be seen as rude, but I've notices many young Japanese guys use it. 僕 sounds kinda childish and 私 is almost exclusively used by females. I'm a 14 year old guy who is a beginner in Japanese. What pronoun would be most appropriate for me to use?

You don't really have a choice.

For formal setting, use わたし
For informal setting where you don't know the person well, use ぼく
For people you know well and is of a equal or lower status, use おれ
If you feel macho, you can use おれさま

If you use ぼく with people you know well, then you might sound a bit kiddish but it's miles better than ぼくちゃん.

Again, the general rule of thumb is to avoid pronouns if you could help it.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by kirakira

You don't really have a choice.

For formal setting, use わたし
For informal setting where you don't know the person well, use ぼく
For people you know well and is of a equal or lower status, use おれ
If you feel macho, you can use おれさま

If you use ぼく with people you know well, then you might sound a bit kiddish but it's miles better than ぼくちゃん.

Again, the general rule of thumb is to avoid pronouns if you could help it.

All true...my only comment would be this is true for native speakers of Japanese. Unless you are a fluent speaker of Japanese, I wouldn't mess with おれ. Think Jackie Chan in "Rush Hour" trying to look natural saying "What's up, Ni**a?" at the bar. You can sometimes look like that if you don't know what you are doing.

I would add that わたし does not sound feminine and ぼく does not sound childish.

[yuukilovesbrownies]

Thank you kirakira and MMM! I understand now. I'll keep this in mind from now on.

[Wasabista]

Basically MMM's advice is sound. Avoid using "ore" until you have a good feel for its use. However, I would disagree about "boku" -- it DOES have a bit of a little-boy sound to it, but there's not much you can do about it. It's the safe choice for informal situations, just as "watashi" is the safe choice for formal ones.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Wasabista

Basically MMM's advice is sound. Avoid using "ore" until you have a good feel for its use. However, I would disagree about "boku" -- it DOES have a bit of a little-boy sound to it, but there's not much you can do about it. It's the safe choice for informal situations, just as "watashi" is the safe choice for formal ones.

I use "boku" all the time with older male colleagues. And trust me, I am not a little boy.

[Wasabista]

MMM, come to think of it, if I'm talking to older friends (say, about 10 years older than me) I'm more likely to call myself "boku," as "ore" seems a bit presumptious. With friends about my own age, though, I tend to say "ore."

[Trouble]

Originally Posted by koekoeka

Hello guys!

I have a question for you. Trouble (Thats a JF member) told me that you shouldnt use 'watashi' in Japanese alot but I dont really know why and when. Could somebody explain that to my?

Thanks already!

Koekoeka

Using "watashi" isn't grammatically incorrect if you use it, it's just that in Japanese, if you use "watashi" when the subject (being you) is obvious too many times, people are going to think that you're self centered. If you're a guy, you can use "ore", which is what guys use to try to make themselves sounds tough (note: ore is rather informal) or you can use "boku", which is a little better to use. Again, only use "ore" or "boku" if you're a male. Girls use "atashi" in informal contexts.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Wasabista

MMM, come to think of it, if I'm talking to older friends (say, about 10 years older than me) I'm more likely to call myself "boku," as "ore" seems a bit presumptious. With friends about my own age, though, I tend to say "ore."

Me too...that would be the way to go.

[koekoeka]

Ok, it's probably 'ore' for me or 'boku' Thanks!

[MMM]

If you aren't sure, then don't use "ore". You can get yourself in trouble if you aren't a fluent speaker (or just sound silly).