某

Derived characters

• 𠋦, 㖼, 媒, 楳, 湈, 煤, 腜, 𦨂, 𱼵, 𦳑, 䗋, 謀(谋), 𪉴

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 519, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14618
• Dae Jaweon: page 906, character 20
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1177, character 4
• Unihan data for U+67D0

Pronunciation

Definitions

某

1. unspecified or not explicitly named (amount, person, or thing); some; a certain; so-and-so

   某年某月某日  ―  mǒu nián mǒu yuè mǒu rì  ―  on day x, month y of year z

2. (humble, by itself) I

   • 大和五年十月中，半夜時，舍外有疾呼傳緘書者。某曰：「必有異。」亟取火來。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     大和五年十月中，半夜时，舍外有疾呼传缄书者。某曰：「必有异。」亟取火来。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 831, Du Mu, 《〈李賀集〉序》, translation based on the work by John Frodsham, 1970.

     Dàhé wǔnián shíyuè zhōng, bànyè shí, shèwài yǒu jí hū chuán jiānshū zhě. Mǒu yuē: “Bì yǒuyì.” Jí qǔ huǒ lái. [Pinyin]

     In the tenth month of the fifth year of the T‘ai-ho era [i.e. 831 CE] there came a sudden shout outside my house at midnight from someone bearing me a letter. ‘This must be something out of the ordinary’, I exclaimed, as I hurriedly took a torch and went outside.

   • 如君實責我在位久，未能助上大有為，以膏澤斯民，則某知罪矣。如曰今日當一切不事事，守前所為而已，則非某之所敢知。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     如君实责我在位久，未能助上大有为，以膏泽斯民，则某知罪矣。如曰今日当一切不事事，守前所为而已，则非某之所敢知。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1070, Wang Anshi（王安石）, Reply to Sima Guang（答司馬諫議書）, translation based on the work by John Jamieson, 1994.

     Rú Jūnshí zé wǒ zàiwèi jiǔ, wèinéng zhù shàng dà yǒuwéi, yǐ gàozé sīmín, zé mǒu zhī zuì yǐ. Rú yuē jīnrì dāng yīqiè bù shìshì, shǒu qián suǒwéi éryǐ, zé fēi mǒu zhī suǒ gǎn zhī. [Pinyin]

     If you charge me for having served in my position for so long without assisting His Imperial Majesty toward greater accomplishments to benefit our people, then I plead guilty. If you are saying that in this present climate I should do nothing, nothing but adhere to past practices, then that is something I cannot accept.

   • 孔明曰：「將軍既要為先鋒，須得一人同去。」言未盡，一人應曰：「某雖不才，願助老將軍先引一軍前去破敵。」孔明視之，乃鄧芝也。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     孔明曰：「将军既要为先锋，须得一人同去。」言未尽，一人应曰：「某虽不才，愿助老将军先引一军前去破敌。」孔明视之，乃邓芝也。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

     Kǒngmíng yuē: “Jiāngjūn jì yào wèi xiānfēng, xū dé yīrén tóngqù.” Yán wèi jìn, yīrén yìng yuē: “Mǒu suī bùcái, yuàn zhù lǎo jiāngjūn xiānyǐn yījūn qiánqù pòdí.” Kǒngmíng shì zhī, nǎi Dèng Zhī yě. [Pinyin]

     Kongming said: "General (Zhao Yun), as ye want to act as vanguard, ye must have someone to go besides you." Before he finished talking, someone responded: "Talentless as I am, still I'm willing to help the elderly general lead an army forwards to smash the enemies." Kongming saw that it was Deng Zhi.

3. Used in place of a person's given name, for anonymity purposes.

   張某／张某  ―  Zhāng mǒu  ―  a person with the surname of Zhang

4. Used in place of someone else's given name, to show dissatisfaction.

   • 夫為弟子後生，其師，必修其言，法其行，力不足、知弗及而後已。今孔某之行如此，儒士則可以疑矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫为弟子后生，其师，必修其言，法其行，力不足、知弗及而后已。今孔某之行如此，儒士则可以疑矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mozi, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on Y. P. Mei's version

     Fū wéi dìzǐ hòushēng, qí shī, bì xiū qí yán, fǎ qí xíng, lì bùzú, zhì fú jí ér hòu yǐ. Jīn Kǒng mǒu zhī xíng rúcǐ, rúshì zé kěyǐ yí yǐ. [Pinyin]

     Of course the disciples and pupils, following a teacher, will advocate his doctrines and imitate his conduct. Only, they are not as powerful and not as clever. Now, since such was the conduct of Kong Such-and-Such (Confucius), the Ruist (Confucian) scholars are naturally to be objects of suspicion.

5. Used in place of one's own given name, to refer to oneself with an intensified emotion.

Compounds

Pronunciation

Definitions

某

1. (Hokkien, Puxian Min) wife

Compounds

Readings

From Middle Chinese 某 (MC muwX); compare Mandarin 某 (mǒu):

• Go-on: む (mu)、め (me)
• Kan-on: ぼう (bō, Jōyō)

From Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj); compare Mandarin 梅 (méi):

• Go-on: まい (mai)
• Kan-on: ばい (bai)

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: それがし (soregashi, 某)、なにがし (nanigashi, 某)

Prefix

某(ぼう) • (bō-) 

1. certain (denoting that the speaker is referring to a specific person or thing that they do not want to name directly, implying that the listener should infer the identity of the referent)

   某(ぼう)大学(だいがく)

   bō-daigaku

   a certain university

Noun

某(ぼう) • (bō) 

1. (literary) a certain person or thing; a so-and-so

   Synonym: なにがし (nanigashi)

Pronoun

某(ぼう) • (bō) 

1. (obsolete) I; me

Pronoun

某(それがし) • (soregashi) 

1. (obsolete) someone; somebody; a certain person
2. (obsolete, used by samurai) I; me
   • 1632, Diego Collado, Niffon no Cotõbani Yô Confesion, page 4:

     R. Sorẽgaxĩga cotòxi Deus no vòn jifino vie iòri Chriſtian ni nàri maràxitẽ gozàru iùie, ni, mãda confeſion vo mõsaĩdẽ gozàru.
     R. Ego ex Dei miſericordia hoc anno Chriſtianus factus, nunquam confeſſionem Sacramentalem feci: vnde hæc, quam modo incipio, erit prima.
     (Having become Christian out of the mercy of God this year, I have never made sacramental confession; whence, as I am just beginning, it will be the first.)

     R. Sorẽgaxĩga cotòxi Deus no vòn jifino vie iòri Chriſtian ni nàri maràxitẽ gozàru iùie, ni, mãda confeſion vo mõsaĩdẽ gozàru.
     R. Ego ex Dei miſericordia hoc anno Chriſtianus factus, nunquam confeſſionem Sacramentalem feci: vnde hæc, quam modo incipio, erit prima.
     (Having become Christian out of the mercy of God this year, I have never made sacramental confession; whence, as I am just beginning, it will be the first.)

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)