俺
俺·I (rough male)
- On-yomi
- none
- Kun-yomi
- おれ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 俺 | おれ | I (rough, male) |
| 俺たち | おれたち | we (rough, male) |
| 俺ら | おれら | we (very casual) |
| 俺様 | おれさま | 'his lordship me' — arrogant self-reference |
Example sentences
俺がやるから心配するな。
おれがやるからしんぱいするな。
I'll do it, so don't worry.
俺たちはもう十年の付き合いだ。
おれたちはもうじゅうねんのつきあいだ。
We've known each other for ten years now.
俺様みたいな態度は嫌われるよ。
おれさまみたいなたいどはきらわれるよ。
Acting like you're God's gift will not make you popular.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 俺僕僕 (ぼく) is the softer male 'I'; both take the person radical 亻.
- 俺掩掩 (エン, to cover) shares the right-hand 奄 with the hand radical 扌.
Common mistakes
- Using 俺 with a superior or a customer — it is blunt, in-group male speech
- 俺 has no on-reading; it is always おれ
Memory aid
Picture it
Person 亻 on the left, like 僕 and 他: a pronoun for a person — this one the rough, chest-out version.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 俺 mean?