僕
KANJI DETAIL
I · servant
On readingぼく14 strokesN2
Radical 人 · personStroke order
Loading the stroke order for 僕.
Japanese readings
- On reading
- ぼく
- Kun reading
- しもべ, やつがれ
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
僕is readぼくwhen used by a speaker to refer to themself. - Basic usage:
僕refers to the speaker, while僕たち(ぼくたち)refers to a group including the speaker.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Traditional gloss and modern first person
- Unlike the traditional Korean learning gloss meaning servant,
僕in modern conversation refers to the speaker as I or me.
- Unlike the traditional Korean learning gloss meaning servant,
- Choice of tone
僕is common among male speakers but is not exclusively male. It generally sounds less formal than私(わたし)in formal settings, so the choice depends on the listener and situation.