watashi no mono - which kanji?

[devlyn]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask which "mono" kanji I should use in a context like:

"Anata wa watashi no mono desu" or "Watashi wa anata no mono desu" or similar.

Apparently there is one "mono" for a person and one for a thing. But does it work the same in this context? Will it be the person one?

Thank you in advance for any help.

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by devlyn

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask which "mono" kanji I should use in a context like:

"Anata wa watashi no mono desu" or "Watashi wa anata no mono desu" or similar.

Apparently there is one "mono" for a person and one for a thing. But does it work the same in this context? Will it be the person one?

Not sure why you're using romaji when asking kanji questions.

The better writers would not use a kanji for もの to write 私のもの.

The poorer writers would write it 私の物.

The other kanji 者 isn't used at all in this context.

[devlyn]

Thank you very much and I'm sorry - I was not sure how to write those two kanji on my computer. Never tried that before. So it's hiragana after all. Thank you again.

[duo797]

On the subject of もの vs. 物, do you happen to know why writing もの is better? Also, is the same thing true of こと and 事?

[SHAD0W]

My thing?　　Why would you wanna write that?

Is 物　Only used with things like　飲み物、ナゴヤンキー先生？

I think that こと　is the opposite way around, using it in kana when attached to a verb and in kanji when alone..? maybe?

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by duo797

On the subject of もの vs. 物, do you happen to know why writing もの is better? Also, is the same thing true of こと and 事?

I sure do. One only needs to read the two example sentences by the OP.
In each of them, the speaker is referring to another person, not an object.

If you're referring to a pen or car or even a house, you can say 私の物. But not your GF or your kid. You don't really own them.

As for 者, it's just so out of the question in the first place. This kanji isn't used like that. It's mostly used in kanji compounds such as 忍者(ninja)、作者(author)、責任者(person in charge), etc. When 者 is used by itself to mean a person, it usually carries a derogatory connotation. You will hear this in period dramas.

I don't want to get too technical, but there are situations in the present-day Japan where 者 is used. That is the business world. When there are personnel changes in a company or the city hall, they put up a piece of paper on the wall in the hallway explaining who goes where. On that paper, you will see the person's name followed by "右の者 will be a so-and-so manager." or "右の者 will be sent to Osaka." The reason for using 右 is that this is written vertically. The name will be to the right of the content of the personnel change.
_____

こと and 事 are a little bit different in that 事 is often written in kanji by the best writers as well as regular old winos like myself. But I would not recommend the over-use of 事 in kanji at all.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by SHAD0W

My thing?　　Why would you wanna write that?

“私のもの”の検索結果（18 件）：英辞郎 on the Web：スペースアルク
"私のもの" - Google Search

It's a frequently-used expression. 1.3 million hits on Google for 私のもの. Another 26 million if you use the kanji. Of course, Nagoyankee is talking about careful writers when he suggests avoiding the kanji.