Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of serrated blade. 'Self' from weapon for self-defense.
Symbolism
Ego, patience, selfishness. Represents self-consciousness and assertion.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Aiming for the mountain peak
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
我田引水
がでんいんすい
seeking one's own interests; straining (the interpretation or argument) to suit one's own interests; drawing water for one's own field
我武者羅
がむしゃら
reckless; daredevil; frantic
無我夢中
むがむちゅう
losing oneself (in); being absorbed (in); forgetting oneself
唯我独尊
ゆいがどくそん
throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one; self-conceit; self-centeredness
如是我聞
にょぜがもん
thus I hear (quote from the sutras); these ears have heard
強情我慢
ごうじょうがまん
obstinate and self-assertive
諸法無我
しょほうむが
idea that all things in the universe lack their own unchangeable substances
Proverbs & Idioms
我を忘れる
われをわすれる
To lose oneself
To become so absorbed as to forget oneself
Poetry
月みれば 千々に物こそ 悲しけれ 我が身ひとつの 秋にはあらねど
Looking at the moon, a thousand sorrows crowd in, though the autumn is not mine alone.
塚も動け我泣く声は秋の風
Move, gravemound — the sound of my weeping is the autumn wind.
旅人と我名よばれん初しぐれ
Let me be called a traveller — the first winter rain.
門を出れば我も行人秋のくれ
Out of the gate, and I too am a traveller — autumn dusk.
Anime & Manga
我！天命大反派
I Am The Fated Villain
A well-known work with 我 in its Japanese title.
我老婆是魔王大人
My Wife is the Demon Queen
A well-known work with 我 in its Japanese title.
我能复制天赋
Your Talent Is Mine
A well-known work with 我 in its Japanese title.
我家老婆来自一千年前
My Wife Is from a thousand Years ago
A well-known work with 我 in its Japanese title.
死灵法师！我即是天灾
Necromancer, the Ultimate Scourge!
A well-known work with 我 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
長宗我部元親
Name contains 我
Chōsokabe Motochika was a daimyō in Japanese Sengoku-period.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 我 mean in Japanese?
我 means ego, I, selfish, our, oneself.
How do you read 我?
On'yomi: ガ (GA). Kun'yomi: われ、わ、わ.が-、わが- (ware, wa, waga, waga).
How many strokes does 我 have?
我 has 7 strokes. Its radical is 戈 (halberd).
Is 我 a good kanji for a tattoo?
我 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means ego, I, selfish, our, oneself. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.