我
wǒ
I; me
Type: PronounsHSK 1
A pictograph of a weapon (戈) with a hand. It depicted self-defence — the 'I' that protects itself.
It's the first-person pronoun. In very formal or humble contexts you can use 本人 (běnrén, 'this person'). In Classical Chinese, 吾 was more common for 'I'. The path to the modern character was a long one.
手shǒuhand
戈gēhalberd
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuésheng.
I am a student.
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