Japanese
For more details on this topic, see Japanese pronouns.Japanese does not have pronouns in the Indo-European sense, but does have nouns that are used in ways similar to pronouns. For example, kare (彼?) and kanojo (彼女?) can be used for "he" and "she". Depending on context, kare or kanojo may also refer to "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" respectively. The phrase ano hito (あの人?, lit. "that person") and other similar phrases are also used. The most common way to refer to another person is by title or affiliation, e.g. buchō (部長?, director) or Hitachi-san (Mr./Mrs./Ms. Hitachi). In general, Japanese speakers do not use pronouns when reference can be determined from context. Often a person's name is used where English would use a pronoun.
Read more about this topic: Gender-neutral Pronoun
Famous quotes containing the word japanese:
“The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.”
—Paul Theroux (b. 1941)
“In fact, the whole of Japan is a pure invention. There is no such country, there are no such people.... The Japanese people are ... simply a mode of style, an exquisite fancy of art.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“No human being can tell what the Russians are going to do next, and I think the Japanese actions will depend much on what Russia decides to do both in Europe and the Far East—especially in Europe.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)