# Anata or kimi?



## 森人さん

Anata or kimi? Can both terms be used interchangeably?  TYVM


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## uchi.m

When you may use anata:

to someone of a higher rank
to your husband --- you can actually use anata as a pronoun, such as kaeru jikan no yo, anata
When you may use omae:

to someone of a lower rank, given you are male
You may use kimi otherwise.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Anata (you) can be used both by men and women in a formal setting.

In colloquial conversations between close couples, especially in traditional Japanese spoken by old people:

Anata (you) is used by the woman to refer to the man,
and kimi (you) is used by the man to refer to the woman.

However, the rule has been broken especially by younger generations now.

Therefore, you should provide us with the context and background if you really want to understand the words;
When was the time? 2017 or 1980s'?
What ages are the two?  In their forties? Or Teenagers?
What gender are they? Heterosex? or Unisex? or A man and a woman?
What is the situation, in a formal setting or colloquial?
etc.

So far, you have been able to get very superficial information that has too many exceptions, I think.


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## 810senior

Moribito-san, your questions are always impressing as they let us informed _nothing _about the contexts behind them but indiscernible one-line questions.
Anata and Kimi are surely interchangeable because they both refer to the same thing and they are more than complicated as well. Briefly speaking Anata is preferred in the formal speech and Kimi is not, rather used in casual speaking.

Anyway I think it's best to say a person's name instead of any possible pronouns if only you knew it, if you not, use Anata in the first place.


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## 森人さん

TYVM


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## 森人さん

＠810senior, I am studying vocabulary, not sentences. I am appreciative of any comments which contribute to my question directly. Opinions are not necessary or helpful. TYVM


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## Flaminius

Even if you are studying vocabulary, *Morito*, you should tell us how you want to use the word.  You must be asking queations in this forum because you are not satisfied with general definitions readily available in dictionaries.  It follows, then, you must provide us with the context where a given word is used or your intent that you want to express with the word.   Even when you are just looking for the Japanese equivalent of an English word, explanation as like above is necessary as there is hardly a one-to-one match between two different languages.


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## 森人さん

@Flaminius This website has served as the most valuable tool to enable me to converse and write in Japanese. I do not have exposure to a formalized curriculum or study program. I am extremely grateful for the outstanding assistance that I receive from the members here. I converse on websites and even the Japanese people that I chat with cannot explain things as clearly and concisely as the members here. The context changes rapidly, as I am essentially in a full immersion environment when I chat. I am also realizing that everyday spoken and written Japanese can not be readily explained, and there are even some disagreements on the replies to my postings. The answers that I receive here are easy to understand and I can use the information immediately. Thank you to everyone who has replied to my postings in a professional and courteous manner, as I truly enjoy learning from you!


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## DrChen

Hey ＠森人さん.
You deserve a place in this forum just like anybody else and are most welcome to ask questions. I am very happy to hear that the website is very useful to you.
However, and I think that is what 810senior has tried to tell you, everyone is required to read the forum rules and follow them. The rules specify

"— Always provide an example sentence and give background and context."

Even though you think the context changes rapidly, you can still tell us "I am a ..year old man talking to a ..year old woman on a chat and we have a close/formal/professional relationship". That _is_ context. That is what people have been asking you here and there when they answer your different questions. You may find it irrelevant, but it's the rules.

(the rules also state "The use of "Hello", “Hi” and "Thank you" is welcome. ", but that is up to you I guess)


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## 810senior

All I want to say is to be *specific *a little bit and look it up on the dictionary first. At least some around here seem confused as they don't know how to provide you with some clues.


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## 森人さん

I will be as specific as I can. I am learning most of my Japanese from live chatting.


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## 810senior

I see but I don't think that it's enough specific when it comes to questions like "cut and slice, are they used interchangeably?" or "to meet and to see, how should I use them?".
I bet the English forum here isn't ready yet to allow such questions that are way too vague and rather indefinite.


P.S.
Seems like I have gotten off the point all the way down to this and please forgive me about my some off-topic and lecturing-like opinions. Time to call it a day.


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## uchi.m

810senior said:


> Seems like I have gotten off the point all the way down to this and please forgive me about my some off-topic and lecturing-like opinions. Time to call it a day.


Haha, never mind.
The forum policy is to be enforced, not looked down upon. If context is paramount to clearing things up, let's give it.
Japanese is mostly known for being quite context-dependent, since lots of communication is taken from granted in this language by the context where it takes place.


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