我が

Japanese

Kanji in this term
我
わ Grade: 6
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
吾が我

Etymology

Originally a compound of 我 (wa, “I, me”, archaic) +‎ が (ga, particle). Now fossilized into a single term.^[1] Note that が in modern Japanese is used as the nominative or subject particle; in ancient Japanese, it was used as a possessive particle between two nouns, a usage still seen in some limited phrases, particularly in place names.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) わが [wáꜜgà] (Atamadaka – [1])
IPA^(key): [β̞a̠ɡa̠]

Adnominal

我(わ)が • (waga)

(archaic, now literary) my
我(わ)が妻(つま) ― waga tsuma ― my wife
- 2014 November 7, “黄(おう)金(ごん)のたてがみのジャザル (Ōgon no Tategami no Jazaru, “Jazal Goldmane”)”, in 統率者 [Commander], Wizards of the Coast:
  
  我(わ)が王(おう)として、あの方(かた)は私(わたし)の勇(ゆう)気(き)の源(げん)泉(せん)である。我(わ)が兄(あに)として、あの方(かた)は私(わたし)の願(がん)望(ぼう)を体(たい)現(げん)する者(もの)である。
  Waga ō to shite, ano kata wa watashi no yūki no gensen de aru. Waga ani to shite, ano kata wa watashi no ganbō o taigen suru mono de aru.
  As my king, he is the source of my courage. As my elder brother, he is the embodiment of my aspirations.
(archaic, now literary) our
我(わ)が国(くに) ― waga kuni ― our country

Usage notes

This is a fossilized phrase, and usage is somewhat restricted. Carries old-fashioned connotations, and suggests a favorable view of the following noun. When used in reference to an organization, the speaker must be a member of that organization.

Derived terms

我(わ)が国(くに) (wagakuni): our country
我(わ)が家(や) (wagaya); 我(わ)が家(いえ) (waga ie); 我(わ)が家(え) (waga e): my / our home, house, household
我(わ)が社(しゃ) (wagasha): my / our company
吾(わが)輩(はい) (wagahai): I, me
我(わ)が子(こ) (wagako): my children, one's own children
わがまま (wagamama): selfish, autocratic
我(わ)が世(よ)の春(はる) (waga yo no haru): heyday
我(わ)が身(み) (wagami) oneself
我(わ)が物(もの) (wagamono): one's own possession
我(わ)が物(もの)顔(がお) (wagamonogao) acting like one owns the place

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[1]