Watakushi and Watashi wa

[spraykit]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone explain to me why are two words to describe I am? Is watakushi preferred or Watashi wa?

[Debezo]

Watashi is commonly used version.
Watakushi is more polite version. It's for formal situation(about a speech, when speaking to your customer).

And more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pronouns

And, Watakushi and Watashi are only I. not I am.
"I am" is watashi -desu.
Roughly speaking, wa makes a previous word a topic or the subject.

Who is Naruto? -- I am.
Naruto wa dare? -- Watashi desu.
Who are you? -- I'm Naruto.
Anata wa dare? -- Watashi wa Naruto desu.

For your help.

[Seiryuu]

Though Fuu from Magic Knight Rayearth uses watakushi to Hikaru and Umi when they're friends, too.

Watakushi is just more polite than watashi, although that's more often used.

I doubt Naruto would ever use watashi, either; it's definitely ore.

[Tatsujin]

The difference between watashi and watakushi is more than just politeness. You have to concider a situational norm when using watakushi, since it can work both ways - being impolite and polite. Watashi is itself a very polite way of referring to yourself. Since in the spoken language you don't usually refer to "me" that much, watashi is a way to make yourself look "lesser" being in the eyes of the person you are talking to, or to make the listener feel "above" you. Basically watashi is used when ever talking to a new aqcuintance or a person of elder stature to you.

Watakushi is normally not used in speach what so ever. Watakushi is concidered sometimes to be too polite in the modern japanese. However when presenting, for example a thesis, to a group of listeners significantly more important in the taken situation than you, watakushi can be used. It is however strikingly "too polite" in most cases.

Watakushi can also sound too polite in a way that the speaker, intentionally or unintentionally, makes him/herself look too "low" in the eyes of the listener. For example if you use watakushi when speaking to a person of same level to you, like a fellow student, you can sound insulting. You raise the politness level too much for the listener at hand. To be frank, in this case the speaker would sound like the biggest smart-ass.

Boku and ore are so called slang words. Boku is a very neutral way to address to yourself, but in some regions it is concidered to be somewhat femine. Ore is the most impolite way to say "me". It should be used only when talking to a person of same level as you, who you know well. A basic rule is that you should never use ore if there is even a slightest doubt that the listener doesn't feel like he/she is at the same level as you. Situations to use ore could be when talking to a family member or a long time friend that is of same age and position (i.e. student) and when there are no people of higher "rank" listening.

The rule of thumb: If you are not 100% sure that you should use watakushi, don't. If you are not 100% sure that you could use ore, don't.

Hope this clears it.

[jimbobob]

I was laughed at for using "watakushi" when speaking to a japanese person, they said if you say that, you sound like a salesman. Some textbooks teach ultra polite Japanese as if they think you'll cause an international incident by speaking informally, Modern Japanese by Shimuzu Han is a good example, its hard to believe a native speaker wrote that horrible textbook.