僕 means “I (male), servant”

ぼく · boku

Also: me, manservant

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

しもべ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ボク

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 14 strokes

The story

A person (亻) beside 菐: the Shuowen defines 僕 as one who serves, a manservant. Now it is the gentle 'I' of boys and men, softer than 俺, while 公僕, a public servant, keeps the old sense.

Used in 僕 (boku, I, male), 公僕 (kouboku, public servant), and 下僕 (geboku, servant)

More from Who's Who

• 輩 fellows
• 紳 gentleman
• 奴 guy
• 誰 who
• 俺 I (male, casual)
• 嬢 young lady
• 翁 venerable old man
• 某 a certain
• 婆 old woman
• 侶 companion
• 我 I
• 己 self

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.