Question about the usage of "watashi"


I am currently slightly confused about the exact usage of the word "watashi".
I know that the word means I, but it's usage seems unclear to me. Some sources
say that it is simply for [polite use](http://www.jref.com/japanese/personal-
possessive-pronouns/), while other sources state that it is only for [feminine
use](https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130329212943AAuM18q).

Can someone clarify this pronouns usage for me?




It's for polite use by both genders, and the most generally used first-person
pronoun. While it used to be more for women, this is no longer the case.

It is true that women tend to use わたし ( _watashi_ ) more than other pronouns,
but it is not a feminine pronoun†, and it is frequently used by men. It is
more polite than others and also used more generally. Typically, it is thought
of as the first-person pronoun "safest" to use as a learner.

A useful quote from the Japanese Wikipedia article (linked below):

> 現在では男女ともに使用する。  
>  Nowadays men and women both use it.

More gender-locked (but not exclusively so) personal pronouns would be ぼく (
_boku_ ) and おれ ( _ore_ ) for men, and あたし ( _atashi_ ) for women. **I would
caution against using these, however** , until you are more comfortable with
the language, since they are a bit less flexible with the situations in which
they can be used.

The answer given by that _Yahoo! Answers_ post has four downvotes for a
reason—its writer is a junior Japanese learner and does not seem to clearly
know the difference. There's honestly [lots of
resources](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=usage+of+watashi) out there
that talk about first-person pronouns in Japanese; avoid _Yahoo! Answers_
whenever possible.

* * *

Here are a few resources on personal pronouns that are pretty accurate:

  * [How to call yourself in Japanese?](http://cotoacademy.com/blog/japanese-study/how-to-call-yourself-in-japanese-boku-ore-watashi/)
  * [Japanese pronouns - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pronouns#List_of_Japanese_personal_pronouns) ([日本語](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E4%BB%A3%E5%90%8D%E8%A9%9E#.E4.B8.80.E4.BA.BA.E7.A7.B0.E5.8D.98.E6.95.B0.E4.BB.A3.E5.90.8D.E8.A9.9E.E3.81.AE.E4.B8.80.E8.A6.A7))
  * [Should I use ORE, BOKU, WATASHI or something else when referring to myself?](http://www.yesjapan.com/YJ6/question/4023/should-i-use-ore_boku_watashi-or-something-else-when-referring-to-myself) (George is a very knowledgeable member of this site)

† It _can_ be perceived as feminine if used in casual contexts.

* * *

Just a note: When saying something like "thanks in advance", it's better to
say よろしくおねがいします ( _yoroshiku onegaishimasu_ ) than ありがとう.




It's for polite use by both genders, and the most generally used first-person
pronoun. While it used to be more for women, this is no longer the case.

It is true that women tend to use わたし ( _watashi_ ) more than other pronouns,
but it is not a feminine pronoun†, and it is frequently used by men. It is
more polite than others and also used more generally. Typically, it is thought
of as the first-person pronoun "safest" to use as a learner.

A useful quote from the Japanese Wikipedia article (linked below):

> 現在では男女ともに使用する。  
>  Nowadays men and women both use it.

More gender-locked (but not exclusively so) personal pronouns would be ぼく (
_boku_ ) and おれ ( _ore_ ) for men, and あたし ( _atashi_ ) for women. **I would
caution against using these, however** , until you are more comfortable with
the language, since they are a bit less flexible with the situations in which
they can be used.

The answer given by that _Yahoo! Answers_ post has four downvotes for a
reason—its writer is a junior Japanese learner and does not seem to clearly
know the difference. There's honestly [lots of
resources](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=usage+of+watashi) out there
that talk about first-person pronouns in Japanese; avoid _Yahoo! Answers_
whenever possible.

* * *

Here are a few resources on personal pronouns that are pretty accurate:

  * [How to call yourself in Japanese?](http://cotoacademy.com/blog/japanese-study/how-to-call-yourself-in-japanese-boku-ore-watashi/)
  * [Japanese pronouns - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pronouns#List_of_Japanese_personal_pronouns) ([日本語](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E4%BB%A3%E5%90%8D%E8%A9%9E#.E4.B8.80.E4.BA.BA.E7.A7.B0.E5.8D.98.E6.95.B0.E4.BB.A3.E5.90.8D.E8.A9.9E.E3.81.AE.E4.B8.80.E8.A6.A7))
  * [Should I use ORE, BOKU, WATASHI or something else when referring to myself?](http://www.yesjapan.com/YJ6/question/4023/should-i-use-ore_boku_watashi-or-something-else-when-referring-to-myself) (George is a very knowledgeable member of this site)

† It _can_ be perceived as feminine if used in casual contexts.

* * *

Just a note: When saying something like "thanks in advance", it's better to
say よろしくおねがいします ( _yoroshiku onegaishimasu_ ) than ありがとう.

