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 often used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its origin. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to 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 the Japanese language has a lot of first-person pronouns. “Ore” is one of them. Since this pronoun is widely considered ruder than the others, Japanese men use this to refer to themselves in less formal situations. Actually, in formal situations, 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, I think. To understand this pronoun more deeply, however, let me explain its origin in more detail.
Origin of ore
To tell the truth, the origin of “ore” is not clear. It is said, however, that this pronoun was derived from “onore” which worked as both a first-person pronoun and a second-person pronoun in the old Japanese language. This idea seems to be promising. Their pronunciations are certainly very similar and “ore” inherited the character as a first-person pronoun. In addition, “onore” was considered less formal. Both are common also in this regard. Since there is no convincing theory, we can accept this idea for a while, I think.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ore” and the promising idea on its origin. Next, 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 wa atarashii ie ni hikkoshi ta – 俺は新しい家に引っ越した (おれはあたらしいいえにひっこした)
I moved to a new house.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- 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”. This pronoun is a good option for some Japanese men to refer to themselves in daily conversations.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ore” and the idea on 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. The Japanese language has a lot of first-person pronouns. This is one of them. Since this pronoun is widely considered ruder than the others, Japanese men use this to refer to themselves in less formal situations. Actually, in formal situations, 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.
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