What does “ore” mean in Japanese?
Some Japanese men say “ore” to mean ‘I’ – to refer to themselves – in Japanese. Probably, some Japanese learners know this pronoun as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail together with its origin. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “ore” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “ore”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “ore”.
- ore – 俺 (おれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used by males.
Many Japanese learners probably know the fact that Japanese has a lot of first-person pronouns. “Ore” is one of them. Since this pronoun is widely considered less formal than the others, Japanese men use this to refer to themselves in very casual situations. In formal situations, actually, they tend to use “watashi” instead. It’s also worth mentioning here that Japanese women do not use this to refer to themselves.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this pronoun more deeply, however, let me explain its origin.
What did “ore” originally mean in Japanese?
To tell the truth, the origin of “ore” is still not clear. It is said, however, that this pronoun was derived from “onore” which worked in two different ways: as a first-person pronoun to mean ‘I’; as a second-person pronoun to mean ‘you’. This idea seems to be promising. Their pronunciations are indeed very similar and “ore” inherited the character as a first-person pronoun to mean ‘I’ in Japanese. In addition, “onore” was considered less formal. Both are very similar also in this regard. Since there is no other convincing theory, we can accept this idea for a while, I think.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ore” together with its origin. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “I” in Japanese
ore wa neko wo kai tai – 俺は猫を飼いたい (おれはねこをかいたい)
I want to have a cat.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “ore” to make the subject in the sentence.
- neko – 猫 (ねこ) : a noun meaning ‘cat’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “neko” to make the object in the sentence.
- kai – 飼い (かい) : one conjugation of the verb, “kau”, which means ‘to have (a pet)’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- tai – たい : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its desire form. In the example, this is used after “kai” to make its desire form, “kai tai”, which means ‘to want to have’.
This is a typical usage of “ore”. In the example, it works together with the binding particle, “wa”, to become the subject in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “ore”
ore mo atarashii ie ni hikkoshi ta – 俺も新しい家に引っ越した (おれもあたらしいいえにひっこした)
I moved to a new house, too.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’, ‘also’, or ‘as well’. In the example, this works after “ore” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ in Japanese.
- ie – 家 (いえ) : a noun meaning ‘house’ or ‘home’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “atarashii ie” to say where the speaker moved.
- hikkoshi – 引っ越し (ひっこし) : one conjugation of the verb, “hikkosu”, which means ‘to move’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “hikkoshi” to make its past tense form, “hikkoshi ta”, which means ‘to have moved’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “ore”. In this example, it works together with “mo” to literally mean ‘I too’ in Japanese. Anyway, this pronoun is a very good option for some men to refer to themselves in less formal situations.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ore” in detail together with its origin. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- ore – 俺 (おれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used by males. Japanese has a lot of first-person pronouns. This is one of them. Since this pronoun is widely considered less formal than the others, Japanese men use this to refer to themselves in very casual situations. In more formal situations, actually, they tend to use “watashi” instead. It’s also worth mentioning here that Japanese women do not use this to refer to themselves.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
