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Definition 2024

私

See also: 厶

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

私 (radical 115 禾+2, 7 strokes, cangjie input 竹木戈 (HDI), four-corner 2293₀, composition ⿰禾厶)

References

KangXi: page 849, character 5

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 24913

Dae Jaweon: page 1271, character 2

Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 4, page 2589, character 6

Unihan data for U+79C1

Chinese

simp. and trad.		私

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (厶) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
私	*sil
厶	*sil

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *sil) : semantic 禾 ‎(“grain”) + phonetic 厶 ‎(OC *sil).

Pronunciation

Mandarin

(Pinyin): sī (si¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄙ
Cantonese (Jyutping): si¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sṳ̂
Min Dong (BUC): sĭ
Min Nan (POJ): su
Wu (Wiktionary): sr (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Beijing)⁺
  - Pinyin: sī
  - Zhuyin: ㄙ
  - Wade-Giles: szu¹
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sy
  - IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: si¹
  - Yale: sī
  - Cantonese Pinyin: si¹
  - IPA ^(key): /siː⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ̂
  - Hakka Romanization System: sii´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: si¹
  - IPA: /sɨ²⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sĭ
  - IPA ^(key): /si⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: su
  - Tâi-lô: su
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sw
  - IPA (Xiamen): /su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /su³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /su⁴⁴/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: sr (T1)
  - IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /siɪ/▼

Rime
Character	私
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	息夷切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪ/
Pan Wuyun	/si/
Shao Rongfen	/sjɪ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/si/
Li Rong	/si/
Wang Li	/si/
Bernard Karlgren	/si/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sī

Old Chinese▼

(Baxter-Sagart): /*[s]əj/

(Zhengzhang): /*sil/

Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	私
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sī
Middle Chinese	‹ sij ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]əj/
English	private
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	私
Reading #	1/1
No.	11949
Phonetic component	厶
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	私
Old Chinese	/*sil/

Definitions

私

self; personal; private

私人 ― sīrén ― personal

私有 ― sīyǒu ― private
selfish
自私 ― zìsī ― selfish

Compounds

Derived terms from 私

一己之私
中飽私囊／中饱私囊
以公滅私／以公灭私
以私廢公／以私废公
假公濟私／假公济私
偏私 (piānsī)
先公後私／先公后私
光私
公報私仇／公报私仇
公報私讎／公报私雠
公爾忘私／公尔忘私
公私 (gōngsī)
公私兩便／公私两便
公私兩全／公私两全
公私兩濟／公私两济
公私兩盡／公私两尽
公私兼顧／公私兼顾
公私分明
公私皆辦／公私皆办
公而忘私
公耳忘私
切切私語／切切私语 (qièqièsīyǔ)
吃私
因公假私
因公行私
國際私法／国际私法
大公無私／大公无私 (dàgōngwúsī)
大飽私囊／大饱私囊
官報私仇／官报私仇
宴私
家私 (jiāsī)
少私寡慾／少私寡欲
床笫之私
彈劾無私／弹劾无私
徇公滅私／徇公灭私
徇私
徇私作弊
徇私廢公／徇私废公
徇私舞弊
微服私行
忝私
恩私
憂公忘私／忧公忘私
憂公無私／忧公无私
憂國忘私／忧国忘私
拜恩私第
暗室私心
有私 (yǒusī)
植黨營私／植党营私
正直無私／正直无私
滅私奉公／灭私奉公
烏鳥私情／乌鸟私情
無私／无私 (wúsī)
無私有弊／无私有弊
燕私
營私／营私 (yíngsī)
營私舞弊／营私舞弊
睚眥之私／睚眦之私
私下 (sīxià)
私了

私事 (sīshì)
私交 (sījiāo)
私人 (sīrén)
私仇
私債／私债
私函
私刑
私利 (sīlì)
私印
私史
私名號／私名号
私吞
私商
私囊
私地
私塾
私塾先生
私奔 (sībēn)
私娼
私室
私家 (sījiā)
私屬／私属
私己 (sījǐ)
私帑
私底下 (sīdǐxià)
私度
私弊
私德
私心 (sīxīn)
私心藏奸
私心話／私心话
私心雜念／私心杂念
私念
私怨
私恩小惠
私情 (sīqíng)
私意 (sīyì)
私慾／私欲
私房 (sīfáng)
私房話／私房话
私房買賣／私房买卖
私房錢／私房钱 (sīfángqián)
私暱／私昵
私曲 (sīqū)
私有 (sīyǒu)
私有制 (sīyǒuzhì)
私有財產／私有财产
私校保險／私校保险
私梟／私枭
私權／私权 (sīquán)
私欲
私法
私淑
私營／私营 (sīyíng)
私生子 (sīshēngzǐ)
私產／私产
私用
私田
私益
私相授受

私科子
私窠子
私窩子／私窝子
私立 (sīlì)
私章
私第
私累
私臣
私自 (sīzì)
私藏 (sīcáng)
私處／私处
私行
私見／私见
私言
私言切語／私言切语
私計／私计
私訪／私访 (sīfǎng)
私話／私话
私語／私语 (sīyǔ)
私談／私谈
私諡
私諱／私讳
私貨／私货
私販／私贩
私逃
私通 (sītōng)
私邸 (sīdǐ)
私酒
私錢／私钱
私門／私门
私闖／私闯
私館／私馆
私鬥／私斗
私鹽／私盐
秉公無私／秉公无私
竊竊私語／窃窃私语 (qièqièsīyǔ)
竊竊私議／窃窃私议
結黨營私／结党营私
緝私／缉私
緣私／缘私
自私 (zìsī)
自私自利 (zìsīzìlì)
至公無私／至公无私
萬貫家私／万贯家私
藏私
角巾私第
言不及私
販私／贩私 (fànsī)
賣公營私／卖公营私
走私 (zǒusī)
銅斗家私／铜斗家私
鐵面無私／铁面无私 (tiěmiàn-wúsī)
開私門／开私门
阿私
陰私／阴私 (yīnsī)
隱私／隐私 (yǐnsī)
隱私權／隐私权 (yǐnsīquán)
骨肉私情
鴻私／鸿私

Japanese

Kanji

私

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

private, personal
I, me

Readings

Goon: し (shi)
Kan’on: し (shi)
Kun: わたくし (watakushi), わたし (watashi), わっし (wasshi) (non-Jōyō reading), わし (washi) (non-Jōyō reading), わい (wai) (non-Jōyō reading), わたい (watai) (non-Jōyō reading), わて (wate) (non-Jōyō reading), わちき (wachiki) (non-Jōyō reading), あて (ate) (non-Jōyō reading), あたし (atashi) (non-Jōyō reading), あたい (atai) (non-Jōyō reading), あし (ashi) (non-Jōyō reading), あっし (asshi) (non-Jōyō reading), ひそか (hisoka) (non-Jōyō reading)

Compounds

Compounds starting with 私

私 (わたくし)する ‎(watakushi suru): To appropriate, embezzle, use for personal purposes.
私 (し)バス ‎(shibasu): A privately operated bus.
私愛 (しあい) ‎(shiai): Favoritism, partiality; a secret love for a woman; the woman so loved.
私安警察 (しあんけいさつ) ‎(shian keisatsu): Private police.
私案 (しあん) ‎(shian): A private plan or proposal.
私意 (しい) ‎(shii): A personal opinion; a bias; selfishness.
私稲 (しとう) ‎(****ō): In the Nara and Heian Periods, rice plants owned by an individual rather than by the state.
私印 (しいん) ‎(shiin): A private sigil, signet, stamp, or seal.
私印偽造 (しいんぎぞう) ‎(shiingizō): Creating a copy of someone else's sigil to forge their stamp.
私雨 (わたくしあめ) ‎(watakushi ame): A sudden rain shower falling in just a small area.
私営 (しえい) ‎(shiei): Private operation, privately operated.
私営鉄道 (しえいてつどう) ‎(shiei tetsudō): A privately operated railway, private rails.
私営田 (しえいでん) ‎(shieiden): In the Heian Period, fields used for large-scale private farming by powerful clans, rather than public farming by the state.
私益 (しえき) ‎(shieki): Private or individual profit or gain.
私謁 (しえつ) ‎(shietsu): An audience with the emperor regarding a private matter; a private rather than public request.
私怨 (しえん) ‎(shien): A private grudge, hatred, ill will.
私恩 (しおん) ‎(shion): A favor or duty owed to an individual.
私恩 (しおん)を売 (う)る ‎(shion o uru): To use one's own position to get someone else to owe one a favor.
私家 (しか) ‎(shika): One's own home; an individual's home, as opposed to the palace or an office.
私家集 (しかしゅう) ‎(shikashū): In the Edo Period and earlier, an individual's collection or anthology of poetry.
私家版 (しかばん) ‎(shikaban): Self-publishing, generally without profit motive and with limited distribution; a private printing or private edition.
私学 (しがく) ‎(shigaku): An individual's school of thought; a private school, as opposed to public.
私学校 (しがっこう) ‎(shigakkō): A private school, as opposed to public.
私学助成 (しがくじょせい) ‎(shigaku josei): Government subsidization of private education.
私感 (しかん) ‎(shikan): One's personal feeling about something.
私間法 (しかんほう) ‎(shikanhō): Alternate for 国際私法 (こくさいしほう) ‎(kokusai shihō): "conflict of laws", or "private international law".
私企業 (しきぎょう) ‎(shikigyō): Private enterprise; a privately owned company.
私記 (しき) ‎(shiki): A private record of something.
私戯 (わたくしたわぶれ) ‎(wataku shitawabure): Chatting up a go-between or mediator, as an aside to the main issue being mediated.
私擬憲法 (しぎけんぽう) ‎(shigikenpō): A privately drafted constitution, more specifically the Japanese constitution created during 1880-1887.
私義務 (しぎむ) ‎(shi gimu): A duty or obligation arising from private law.
私議 (しぎ) ‎(shigi): Secret criticism, badmouthing; a personal or private opinion.
私共 (わたくしども) ‎(watakushidomo), 私共 (わたしども) ‎(watashidomo): A humble word (謙譲語 (けんじょうご) ‎(kenjōgo) for "we", "us".
私教類聚 (しきょうるいじゅう) ‎(shikyō ruijū): Japan's oldest collection of moral instructions, written by Kibi Makibi in the 700s.
私業 (しぎょう) ‎(shigyō): Word done as an individual; work done for individual profit.
私曲 (しきょく) ‎(shikyoku): An unjust act committed solely to benefit oneself.
私金 (しきん) ‎(shikin): Private money; money owned by an individual.
私銀 (わたくしがね) ‎(watakushigane), 私金 (わたくしがね) ‎(watakushigane): Personal money, secret savings, a financial nest egg.
私軍 (わたくしいくさ) ‎(watakushi ikusa), 私戦 (わたくしいくさ) ‎(watakushi ikusa): A private feud.
私戦 (わたくしたたかい) ‎(watakushi tatakai): A private feud.
私刑 (しけい) ‎(shikei): A punishment meted out by vigilante or mob justice.
私恵 (しけい) ‎(shikei): A private favor.
私経済 (しけいざい) ‎(shikeizai): A private economy: economic dealings between private individuals or companies.
私計 (しけい) ‎(shikei): One's own thoughts and opinions; one's own schemes or plans.
私隙 (しげき) ‎(shigeki): Private discord.
私権 (しけん) ‎(shiken): Private or personal rights.
私見 (しけん) ‎(shiken): A humble word (謙譲語 (けんじょうご) ‎(kenjōgo) for one's own personal opinions.
私語 (しご) ‎(shigo): A whisper, whispering, private conversation.
私語 (ささや)く ‎(sasayaku): To whisper, to rumor.
私交 (しこう) ‎(shikō): Personal or private friendship or socializing.
私考 (しこう) ‎(shikō): One's own personal thoughts.
私行 (しこう) ‎(shikō): Private actions in one's own life; a secret act; going out for personal reasons; sneaking out.

Pronunciation

Kun'yomi
(Tokyo) わたし [wàtáshí] (Heiban - [0])
IPA^(key): [ɰᵝa̠ta̠ɕi]

Kun'yomi
(Tokyo) わたくし [wàtákúshí] (Heiban - [0])
IPA^(key): [ɰᵝa̠ta̠kɯᵝɕi]

Kun'yomi
(Tokyo) あたし [àtáshí] (Heiban - [0])
IPA^(key): [a̠ta̠ɕi]

Pronoun

私 ‎(hiragana わたし, romaji watashi)

私 ‎(hiragana わたくし, romaji watakushi) more formal

私 ‎(hiragana あたし, romaji atashi) generally only used by women when referring to themselves

I (first person pronoun)

私 (わたし)はイギリス人 (じん)です。

Watashi wa igirisu-jin desu.

I'm English.

私 (わたし)は誰 (だれ)ですか。

Watashi wa dare desu ka.

Who am I?

Usage notes

わたし is the usual polite term for referring to oneself; わたくし is formal, and only used in certain circumstances, such as by TV announcers or public figures such as politicians. Conversely, it is too formal for casual conversation for men, where terms like 俺 (for men) are preferred.

Japanese first-person pronouns

Japanese first-person pronouns by speakers and situations according to Yuko Saegusa, Concerning the First Personal Pronoun of Native Japanese Speakers (2009)

First-person pronouns by elementary school pupils (2008)
Speaker	Situation	1	2	3
Female	To friends	うち 49%	First name 26%	あたし 15%
	In the family	First name 33%	あたし 29%	うち 23%
	In a class	わたし 86%	あたし 7%	うち 6%
	To an unknown visitor	わたし 75%	あたし, first name, うち 8% each
	To the class teacher	わたし 66%	First name 13%	あたし 9%
Male	To friends	おれ 72%	ぼく 19%	First name 4%
	In the family	おれ 62%	ぼく 23%	うち 6%
	In a class	ぼく 85%	おれ 13%	First name, nickname 1% each
	To an unknown visitor	ぼく 64%	おれ 26%	First name 4%
	To the class teacher	ぼく 67%	おれ 27%	First name 3%

First-person pronouns by university students (2009)
Speaker	Situation	1	2	3
Female	To friends	うち 39%	あたし 30%	わたし 22%
	In the family	あたし 28%	First name 27%	うち 18%
	In a class	わたし 89%	あたし 7%	自分 3%
	To an unknown visitor	わたし 81%	あたし 10%	自分 6%
	To the class teacher	わたし 77%	あたし 17%	自分 7%
Male	To friends	おれ 87%	うち 4%	わたし, 自分 2% each
	In the family	おれ 88%	ぼく, 自分 5% each
	In a class	わたし 48%	自分 28%	ぼく 22%
	To an unknown visitor	ぼく 36%	自分 29%	わたし 22%
	To the class teacher	自分 38%	ぼく 29%	わたし 22%

Korean

Hanja

私 • ‎(sa) (hangeul 사, McCune-Reischauer sa, Yale sa)

private, personal

Vietnamese

Han character

私 (tư, tây)

private, personal

Definify.com

Definition 2024

私

私

Translingual

Han character

References

Chinese

Glyph origin

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Compounds

Pronunciation

Pronoun

Usage notes

See also

Korean

Hanja

Vietnamese

Han character

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