self

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 我 has 7 strokes, the on-reading が, and the kun-readings われ and わ. 我 (われ) means I or oneself; 我々 (われわれ) means we.
• Basic usage: 我 focuses on oneself; 我々 refers to a group that includes the speaker.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Losing oneself in an activity and the limits of acting alone
  • 我を忘れて describes losing oneself in creating a work. 我に従え means follow me, as commanded by the king to his retainers in the story.
  • 我々は計画を最後まで実行するつもりだ means that we intend to carry out the plan to the end. 我々だけでは解決できない expresses the limitation that we cannot solve it by ourselves.