There are many ways of saying “I” in Japanese. Your choice will depend on the situation, gender identity of the speaker, the generation of the speaker, and the relationship with the person they’re talking to.

To avoid sounding robotic, “I” is often omitted in Japanese when the subject of the sentence is clear from the context. For example, when introducing yourself you can easily omit わたし. わたしはアーニャです。= アーニャです。

私 (わたし) is the most common way to say “I” and you probably have learnt it on the first day of your Japanese course. It is a gender-neutral pronoun in formal speech, but it is only used by women in causla speech. Ex.私は猫(ねこ)が好(す)きだ。I like cats.

私 (あたし) is a more feminine way of saying “I” and is used by some women, particularly younger women or in casual settings. Ex. あたしは渋谷(しぶや)で買(か)い物(もの)に行(い)きたい。I want to go shopping in Shibuya. 

私 (わたくし) is a very formal and polite version of わたし and is often used in business or formal situations, like announcements and speeches. Ex. わたくしはこれから新方針(しんほうしん)について話(はな)したいと思(おも)います。I would like to start the discussion regarding the new policy now.

僕 (ぼく) is a semi-casual way of saying “I” and is mainly used by boys and men. It is still considered polite, but not as formal as 私. It is more modest and less masculine than おれ and can be used as a second-person pronoun towards little boys. Ex. 僕(ぼく)は漫画(まんが)を読(よ)みたい。I want to read comics

俺 (おれ) is a very informal/casual and masculine way of saying “I” and is mainly used by men. It is considered rude in formal situations. Ex. 俺(おれ)は柔道(じゅうどう)を練習(れんしゅう)する。 I practice judo.

うち can be used as a pronoun to mean “I” or “me,” but its usage is limited to certain regions and dialects. In particular, it is commonly used in Kansai dialects, which are spoken in the Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe regions of Japan. It is used in casual settings by young women and sounds less feminine than あたし. Ex. うちはアイドルの雑誌(ざっし)を買(か)った。I bought an idol magazine. 

自分(じぶん) is a semi-casual and gender-neutral pronoun. It is often used by people doing sports; it is also used to express a sense of self-awareness or introspection. Ex.空手(からて)がなければ、今(いま)の自分(じぶん)はなかった。I wouldn’t be the person I am today without karate.

我 (われ): This is a more literary and formal way of saying “I,” and is not commonly used in everyday conversation.

拙者 (せっしゃ): This is an old-fashioned and formal way of referring to oneself, which is typically used by men. It is often associated with samurai or historical settings.