個人的

• Reading: こじんてき
• Romaji: kojinteki
• Kanji breakdown: 個 (ko) — individual, piece; 人 (jin/hito) — person; 的 (teki) — target, -ical
• Pronunciation: /ko.d͡ʑiɴ.te.ki/

Meaning

Personal; individual; private. Describes something relating to a single person rather than a group.

A na-adjective formed with the suffix 的 (teki). Takes な before nouns (個人的な意見 = personal opinion) and に before verbs (個人的に思う = to personally think). Very useful for softening opinions or distinguishing personal views from official positions. The base word 個人 (kojin) means individual.

Examples

1. 個人的にはこの映画が一番好きです。 Personally, I like this movie the best.
2. それは個人的な問題なので聞かないでください。 That's a personal matter, so please don't ask.
3. 個人的な意見ですが、もう少し練習が必要です。 This is my personal opinion, but I think a bit more practice is needed.

Usage Guide

Context: opinions, discussion, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 個 (ko, individual/piece), 人 (jin, person), and 的 (teki, -like/-ical). Literally means individual-person-like — pertaining to one person specifically.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal