In this guide
Pronouns are words such as “I,” “you” and “we.” They’re so familiar in English that it’s natural to look for a Japanese equivalent every time you use one. If you’re introducing yourself, “I” seems like an obvious place to begin. When you ask the other person a question, you expect to need “you.”
To see how Japanese handles those choices, I like to start with a short conversation. Imagine you’ve just joined a course. Once you’ve given your name, your listener knows who you mean when you add that you’re a student. You can leave “I” unsaid. If you want to ask a classmate whether they’re a student too, their name can make it clear who you’re asking about.
In this guide, we’ll build that first conversation together. You’ll practise deciding when to leave out “I” or “you,” when a name or title helps, and which word for “I” suits the situation. Then you’ll use those choices in a short introduction and reply of your own.
Start with a short introduction
If your name is Emma, you can give your name followed by です, the polite ending used here to say who someone is:
エマです。
I’m Emma.
Your listener knows you mean yourself. You don’t need a separate “I,” and you don’t add さん to your own name.
Now add one fact. 学生 means “student,” so 学生です says you’re a student:
エマです。学生です。
I’m Emma. I’m a student.
You’re still talking about yourself. To say “I” in ordinary polite conversation, use 私. Add は, pronounced wa, to mark the topic—here, you:
私は学生です。
I’m a student.
Both versions work in this introduction. If you leave out 私は, leave out the whole phrase: 学生です is complete here, with no lonely は at the beginning.
Keep the speaker clear
Emma is introducing herself to a new classmate and wants to say “I’m a student.” Select both complete sentences that can do that in this context.
Which two introductions work?
Ask the person in front of you
Someone at the course has a name badge: Tanaka. Use their name plus さん to ask about them. Add か to make the question:
田中さんは学生ですか。
Are you a student, Tanaka?
When you’re chatting directly with Tanaka and it’s obvious you’re asking about them, you can shorten that to:
学生ですか。
Are you a student?
あなた also means “you.” In speech it can sound distant or pointed, depending on tone and relationship—even with です. I’d use 田中さん here.
A questionnaire can use あなた for whoever is reading and answering:
あなたは学生ですか。
Are you a student?
Put the introduction and question together
Here’s Emma’s first draft:
私はエマです。私は学生です。田中さんは学生ですか。
I’m Emma. I’m a student. Are you a student, Tanaka?
Emma can drop both 私は phrases while talking about herself. I’d keep Tanaka’s name when she turns the question to Tanaka:
エマです。学生です。田中さんは学生ですか。
I’m Emma. I’m a student. Are you a student, Tanaka?
Tanaka teaches the course. 先生 means “teacher,” and いいえ means “no.” Tanaka can reply:
いいえ、先生です。
No, I’m a teacher.
Emma can also spell out the difference: 私は学生です。田中さんは先生です—“I’m a student. Tanaka is a teacher.”
Ask about someone else
Now a classmate is talking to Emma about Tanaka:
学生ですか。
Is Tanaka a student?
Emma answers about Tanaka:
いいえ、先生です。
No, Tanaka is a teacher.
Emma hears the question, but both lines are about Tanaka. If either Emma or Tanaka could be meant, the classmate can name Tanaka:
田中さんは学生ですか。
Is Tanaka a student?
Ask about the right person
A classmate wants to ask Tanaka about Emma.
Which question names Emma?
A short “Me too”
A close friend says they’re a student. You are too. 私も means “Me too”: も adds “too,” and your friend has already supplied the student part. It’s a complete casual reply:
私も。
Me too.
When you don’t know the name
すみません means “Excuse me.” Say it to the person you want to speak to. When they turn or respond, you can ask whether they’re a student:
すみません。学生ですか。
Excuse me. Are you a student?
With several people around, make the call more specific. If only one is wearing blue, use 青い服のかた, the whole phrase for “the person in blue”:
すみません、青い服のかた。
Excuse me—you in blue.
Make one listener clear
Two people are nearby. You know neither name, and only one is wearing blue. Get that person’s attention before asking whether they’re a student.
Which call picks out the person in blue?
To get a name you can use later, ask:
お名前は？
What’s your name?
Now you have a name to use with さん. If you’re unsure which ending or title fits, the guide to Japanese honorifics explains how the relationship and setting affect that choice.
Say “my book” and “your book”
English changes I to my. Japanese adds の: 私の means “my.” 本 means “book,” so 私の本 is “my book.” If someone holds up your book, say:
私の本です。
It’s my book.
私 still means the speaker. In 私は学生です, は marks you as the topic: you’re a student. In 私の本です, の says the book belongs to you.
A name or title can go before の too. When you speak to Tanaka as your teacher, you can ask:
先生の本ですか。
Is this your book?
Make the group clear too
When you say 私たち, you mean yourself and at least one other person. You and your classmates can introduce yourselves to Tanaka:
私たちは学生です。
We’re students.
Here you mean yourself and your classmates; Tanaka isn’t included. Say the same sentence to those classmates, and the people listening are included.
Tanaka arrives with two teacher colleagues. To describe Tanaka and those colleagues, add たち to the name: 田中さんたち. The colleagues don’t have to share Tanaka’s surname.
If both groups could be meant by 先生です—“They’re teachers”—I’d keep Tanaka’s name:
田中さんたちは先生です。
Tanaka and the others are teachers.
先生 describes several teachers here without a plural ending. Don’t add たち to every noun just because English makes it plural.
Name the group you mean
Your student group and Tanaka’s teacher group have both been mentioned. Say that Tanaka and the colleagues with Tanaka are teachers.
Which sentence names Tanaka’s group?
To speak to everyone in front of you, use みなさん:
みなさん、こんにちは。
Hello, everyone.
Choose a voice for “I”
私 works in ordinary polite conversation. You can choose another “I” when you want a different voice.
A friendlier “I” with 僕
A man chatting with classmates can choose 僕 for a friendlier introduction:
僕は学生です。
I’m a student.
私 would work too. 僕 is common among male speakers, and です keeps the introduction polite. Choosing an “I” word doesn’t choose the ending for you.
Extra formality with わたくし
At an interview, 私 is fine. わたくし adds extra formality and courtesy:
わたくしは学生です。
I’m a student.
Your voice with a close friend
For the same “Me too” to your close friend, 俺 gives a strongly casual, often masculine voice:
俺も。
Me too.
あたし gives the reply a casual, often feminine voice:
あたしも。
Me too.
You can also keep 私も. You still agree that you’re a student, without choosing either of those voices.
Keep your own voice
Your close friend is a student, and you are too. You want a casual “Me too,” but neither the often masculine voice of 俺 nor the often feminine voice of あたし feels like you.
Which reply fits that choice?
Write a new exchange, then revise it
Put your introduction and a book question together:
- Give your name and say you’re a student.
- Ask teacher Tanaka whether the book they’re holding belongs to them.
- Have Tanaka reply, “It’s my book.”
Write the introduction, question and reply
Write the Japanese exchange here.
Copy your Japanese text, then paste it into the checker. This writing space does not assess or save your text.
Read each part as its speaker. Who does 私 mean each time? Is the book’s owner clear? Keep a name or title where it helps. You can shorten an introduction by leaving out the whole 私は phrase when you’re clearly talking about yourself.
The checker can suggest grammar or spelling changes; check the intended people and social choices yourself.
About the author
B. Rungswell
B. Rungswell is the editor of the Bunpo Check blog and a native English speaker who has passed JLPT N1. Drawing on many years of life in Japan and experience working at Japanese companies, Rungswell writes practical guides to Japanese grammar for English-speaking learners.