俺

I, me (for men)

Kanji 1970

Some sources call 俺 rough, arrogant, vulgar, and disagreeable. Others say it is informal and intimate. It conveys manliness, which could imply control over emotions, but it is also the pronoun men use when they lose their cool. All these contradictory statements are true! The mere idea of adding 俺 to the Joyo list provoked a bitter battle. Find out how and why men use this charged word.

Revision history:

Jan. 28, 2021:

p. 2: Etymology Box: Added the new Henshall etymology.
p. 3 sidebar: Rewrote this a bit, eliminating info. that felt extraneous.
p. 7: Fixed a broken link.
p. 11: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
 

Sept. 5, 2014: Originally published.