我(が)

が

noun

ego; self-will; selfishness

1. ego; self-will; selfishness

One's own will and wishes asserted against other people: the insistence on doing things one's own way. Almost always critical, and used mainly in a few set phrases such as 我(が)が強(つよ)い, 我(が)を通(とお)す and 我(が)を張(は)る.

彼女(かのじょ)は我(が)が強(つよ)い。

She is very self-willed.

彼(かれ)はいつも我(が)を張(は)って、人(ひと)の意見(いけん)を聞(き)かない。

He always insists on his own way and won't listen to other people's opinions.

兄(あに)は一度(いちど)言(い)い出(だ)したら我(が)を通(とお)す性格(せいかく)だ。

Once my older brother says he'll do something, he's the type who insists on having his own way.

我(が)を張(は)るのをやめて素直(すなお)に謝(あやま)ったら、二人(ふたり)の関係(かんけい)はすぐに元(もと)に戻(もど)った。

Once I stopped being stubborn and simply apologized, the two of us were soon back on good terms.

我(が) is the self pushing against other people: one's own will, pride and wishes. It is almost always critical, and it appears mainly in a handful of set phrases.

Common expressions

我(が)が強(つよ)い: self-willed; headstrong (read ががつよい)
我(が)を通(とお)す / 我(が)を押(お)し通(とお)す: to insist on having one's own way
我(が)を張(は)る: to be stubborn; to refuse to give in
我(が)を折(お)る: to give in; to yield to others

Similar words

意地(いじ): stubbornness rooted in pride; 意地(いじ)を張(は)る is close to 我(が)を張(は)る
わがまま: selfish; willful — the everyday word for someone who demands their own way
自我(じが): ego in the psychological sense, without criticism

Watch out

The same kanji is read われ in 我(われ)を忘(わす)れる (to forget oneself) and 我(われ)に返(かえ)る (to come to one's senses); see 我(われ). Do not confuse 我(が)が強(つよ)い with the literary prefix 我(わ)が〜 (my; our), as in 我(わ)が家(や).

Related Words

Compare: 我(われ) (I; oneself (literary))

Compare: 我(わ)が〜 (our; my (literary prefix))

Synonym: 意地(いじ) (stubborn pride)

Related: わがまま (selfish; willful)

Related: 自我(じが) (ego (psychology))

general

Added 2026.5.29 12:08 · Revised 2026.10.1 17:29

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