自分(じぶん)

じぶん
noun / pronoun
oneself, myself
1. oneself, myself, yourself
Refers to the speaker or the subject of the sentence.
自分(じぶん)でやってみてください。
Please try doing it yourself.
自分(じぶん)の部屋(へや)を掃除(そうじ)した。
I cleaned my own room.
自分(じぶん)のことは自分(じぶん)でする。
I do my own things myself.
自分(じぶん)の意見(いけん)を言(い)ってください。
Please state your own opinion.
自分(じぶん)でお弁当(べんとう)を作(つく)って学校(がっこう)に持(も)っていった。
I made a boxed lunch myself and took it to school.

自分(じぶん) is a reflexive pronoun meaning "oneself." Unlike English, it is not limited to the speaker — it refers back to the subject of the sentence, whoever that may be.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 自分(じぶん)で: by oneself (emphasizes doing it independently)
  • 自分(じぶん)の: one's own (自分(じぶん)の部屋(へや) = one's own room)
  • 自分(じぶん)自身(じしん): oneself (emphatic)
  • 自分(じぶん)のことは自分(じぶん)でする: to do one's own things by oneself

FLEXIBLE REFERENCE:

自分(じぶん) refers to whoever is the subject:

  • 私(わたし)は自分(じぶん)で作(つく)った (I made it myself)
  • 彼(かれ)は自分(じぶん)の間違(まちが)いに気(き)づいた (He noticed his own mistake)

AS FIRST-PERSON PRONOUN:
In casual male speech (especially military, sports contexts), 自分(じぶん) is sometimes used to mean "I/me" directly: 自分(じぶん)はそう思(おも)います (I think so).

basic
Added 2026.1.11 18:35 · Revised 2026.3.26 15:22
02500/02887_jibun