1.
oneself; one's own self
Literary first-person pronoun referring to oneself, mainly preserved in proverbs, classical writing, and a small set of formal expressions about self-reflection.
己を知る。
To know oneself.
己に打ち勝つことが大切だ。
It is important to overcome oneself.
敵を知り己を知れば、百戦危うからず。
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear a hundred battles.
Literary and old-fashioned word for 'self'. Modern Japanese uses 自分 in nearly all everyday contexts; 己 survives in proverbs, classical-style writing, and a few set phrases about self-mastery.
FIXED EXPRESSIONS:
- 己を知る: to know oneself
- 己に勝つ / 打ち勝つ: to overcome oneself
- 己を律する: to discipline oneself
- 己を捨てる: to set aside the self
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 自分: oneself — the everyday word; use this in normal speech
- 我: I; self — literary, formal speeches and writing
- 自我: ego; the self — psychological/philosophical term