俺: the kanji for I; myself
俺 is a Jōyō kanji that means I; myself. Below are its readings, 2 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
俺 is written in 10 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
俺 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 2 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
おれ (ore)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 俺おれ · ore | I; me (casual, used mainly by men) |
| 俺たちおれたち · oretachi | we; us (casual) |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 俺は先に帰るよ。Ore wa saki ni kaeru yo.I'm heading home first.
- 俺たちのチームが勝った。Oretachi no chīmu ga katta.Our team won.
- 俺に任せて。Ore ni makasete.Leave it to me.
- 「俺」は親しい人と話すときに使います。"Ore" wa shitashii hito to hanasu toki ni tsukaimasu."Ore" is used when talking with close friends.
- 仕事では「俺」ではなく「私」を使いましょう。Shigoto de wa "ore" de wa naku "watashi" o tsukaimashō.At work, use "watashi" instead of "ore."
Questions about 俺
How many strokes does 俺 have?
俺 is written in 10 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 俺?
俺 has no on reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table. The kun readings are ore (おれ).
Is 俺 polite?
No. 俺 is a casual word for “I”, used mainly by men with friends and family. At work and with people you do not know well, use 私 (watashi).
What JLPT level is 俺?
俺 is a Jōyō kanji, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so other study materials may place 俺 at a JLPT level.
About the JLPT level
俺 is one of the 2,136 kanji in the official Jōyō Kanji Table, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. Our lists are a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009 and on the levels that several learning sites agree on, so other study materials may place 俺 at a JLPT level. See the list of Jōyō kanji outside our JLPT lists.
More Jōyō kanji
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 俺
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.