Hello, I’m Kodak.
Anime battles often include lines such as:
Temē, nani shiyagatta!
What the hell did you do?!
貴様、許さん！
Kisama, yurusan!
You bastard! I won’t forgive you!
てめえ (temē) feels like a direct, heated, street-level “you” used in a confrontation.
貴様 (kisama) is also insulting today, but often sounds more theatrical, military, old-fashioned, or villain-like.
てめえ (temē) and 貴様 (kisama) are hostile second-person pronouns in modern Japanese.
They may be translated as:
・you
・you bastard
・damn you
・you punk
・you asshole
The English translation depends on the whole sentence. Neither word literally means “bastard,” but both can carry that level of aggression in context.
Beginners should learn them mainly for understanding anime, manga, games, and arguments—not for normal conversation.
What Does Temee Mean in Japanese?
Common spellings: てめえ／てめぇ／テメエ／テメェ
Romaji: temē, temee, or temee
Basic modern meaning:
a very rough, contemptuous, or aggressive “you”
てめえ developed from 手前 (temae). In modern confrontational speech, it is used to address someone with anger, hostility, or contempt.
てめえ、ふざけるな。
Temē, fuzakeru na.
Don’t mess with me, you bastard.
てめえのせいだ。
Temē no sei da.
This is your fault.
てめえ、誰に口きいてんだ？
Temē, dare ni kuchi kiiten da?
Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?
English subtitles add “bastard,” “asshole,” or “punk” when they need to reproduce the hostility that Japanese expresses through the choice of pronoun and sentence style.
What Does Kisama Mean in Japanese?
Hiragana: きさま
Katakana: キサマ
Romaji: kisama
Basic modern meaning:
an insulting or contemptuous “you,” often with a dramatic or old-fashioned flavor
貴様、何者だ？
Kisama, nanimono da?
Who the hell are you?
貴様だけは許さん。
Kisama dake wa yurusan.
You, of all people, I will never forgive.
貴様に負けるものか。
Kisama ni makeru mono ka.
There’s no way I’ll lose to you.
Kisama was originally respectful. From the late medieval period into the early modern period, it could address a superior with respect. Its honorific force gradually weakened, and by the late Edo period it was used toward equals or inferiors and as an insult.
Temee vs Kisama: The Main Difference
・very rough modern spoken language
・feels direct, heated, and personal
・common in fights, delinquent speech, gangster dialogue, and angry arguments
・sounds like the speaker is confronting someone face-to-face
貴様 (kisama)
・insulting in modern Japanese
・often sounds theatrical, old-fashioned, military, authoritarian, or villainous
・common in battle fiction, historical-style dialogue, fantasy, and dramatic rivalry
・less common in ordinary present-day conversation
Temee can feel more immediately threatening because it is a natural rough word in a modern confrontation.
Kisama can sound highly contemptuous, but in everyday life it may also feel theatrical or like someone is imitating an anime villain.
てめえ ⇒ “You!” in a real, heated confrontation
貴様 ⇒ “You!” with dramatic, militaristic, old-fashioned, or villainous contempt
Both can be dangerous and insulting in real conversation.
Temee vs Kisama in the Same Situation
Imagine that an enemy has betrayed the speaker.
Temē, uragitta na!
You betrayed me, you bastard!
⇒ Direct, explosive, and conversational.
貴様、裏切ったな！
Kisama, uragitta na!
You traitor! You betrayed me!
⇒ More dramatic, commanding, or villain-like.
Now imagine a modern street argument:
Watch where you’re going, asshole!
⇒ Rough but recognizable as modern confrontational speech.
貴様、どこを見て歩いている！
Watch where you are going, you fool!
⇒ Grammatically possible, but it sounds unusually theatrical or authoritarian in an ordinary street scene.
The important point is that its frequency and social flavor in fiction are different from normal modern conversation.
How Rude Is Temee?
Temee is one of the roughest common ways to say “you” in modern Japanese. Directing it at someone can immediately turn a disagreement into a confrontation.
・you
・you bastard
・you asshole
・you punk
・who the hell do you think you are?
Common emotional impression:
anger, contempt, challenge, intimidation, or readiness to fight
A learner may sound genuinely hostile because pronunciation, timing, and relationship cues are difficult to control.
How Rude Is Kisama?
Kisama is insulting in modern Japanese. It may target an equal or inferior with contempt, or appear as a curse-like form of “you” during a conflict.
・hostile
・commanding
・arrogant
・military-like
・old-fashioned
・dramatic
・villainous or rival-like
Either way, it will not sound polite, normal, or friendly.
Why Was Kisama Originally Polite?
The history of 貴様 is a classic example of semantic degradation: a respectful word gradually became ordinary and then insulting.
貴 expressed nobility or respect
＋
様 was an honorific title
↓
貴様 respectfully addressed a superior in late medieval and early modern usage
↓
it became more generally used in speech
↓
its respect weakened
↓
by the late Edo period, it addressed equals or inferiors and could function as an insult
Today, writing 貴様 does not make it respectful. Use a name, title, あなた when appropriate, or simply omit the pronoun.
Where Does Temee Come From?
てめえ is a sound change from てまえ (手前).
手前 has several meanings, including “the near side,” “one’s position or public appearance,” and pronoun uses. It could refer humbly to oneself and could also address an equal or inferior.
手前 (temae)
the area in front of oneself / one’s side
↓
a pronoun referring to oneself or another person
↓
てめえ (temē), a contracted and rough pronunciation
↓
a low-respect form used mainly toward a lower-status listener
↓
a modern insult-like “you”
Context determined whether 手前 referred to the speaker’s side or addressed the other person.
Temee Can Still Refer to “Oneself” in Some Patterns
Although learners usually meet temee as an aggressive “you,” dictionaries also record first-person and reflexive uses connected with 手前.
to think only about oneself
てめえから名乗る
to introduce oneself first
てめえの始末はてめえでつけろ
Clean up your own mess yourself.
Do not try to use these patterns until you are comfortable reading the whole context.
How to Write and Pronounce Temee
Rough form: てめえ (temē)
Small-kana form: てめぇ
Katakana emphasis: テメエ／テメェ
Mora: て・め・え (3 morae)
The final え is long. A useful learner spelling is temē or temee. Writing only teme may hide the long vowel.
The small ぇ is a stylistic spelling often used in manga, dialogue, and online writing to show rough or contracted speech.
How to Write and Pronounce Kisama
Hiragana: きさま
Katakana: キサマ
Romaji: kisama
Mora: き・さ・ま (3 morae)
In manga, katakana キサマ may visually strengthen the threat or emphasize a nonstandard, robotic, monstrous, or dramatic voice. The script does not change the dictionary meaning.
Temee and Kisama in Anime, Manga, and Games
Fiction uses both pronouns to reveal a character’s personality immediately.
・a delinquent
・a gangster or street fighter
・a hot-blooded rival
・someone losing their temper
・a rough modern masculine voice
貴様 often suggests:
・a military officer
・an authoritarian superior
・a proud warrior
・a demon king or villain
・an old-fashioned rival
・a character speaking in a stylized battle register
Writers choose it for characterization, not because ordinary Japanese people constantly address enemies as kisama.
てめえ、ぶっ飛ばすぞ！
I’ll beat the hell out of you!
⇒ Heated, rough, and immediate.
貴様をここから生かして帰すわけにはいかん。
I cannot allow you to leave this place alive.
⇒ Formal, dramatic, villainous, or military-like.
てめえ、俺をなめてんのか？
Are you messing with me?
⇒ Modern confrontation.
貴様ごときが私に勝てると思うな。
Do not think a lowly creature like you can defeat me.
⇒ Arrogant fantasy-villain register.
Are Temee and Kisama Male Words?
Neither pronoun is grammatically limited to men. However, both are strongly associated with rough, confrontational speech that is more often assigned to male characters in traditional fiction.
The result will sound intentionally rough, threatening, dramatic, or character-defining—not neutral feminine conversation.
Temee vs Kisama vs Omae
“you”; casual and potentially rude, but can also be familiar between close people
てめえ (temē)
a highly aggressive “you”; direct, heated, and confrontational
貴様 (kisama)
an insulting “you”; dramatic, old-fashioned, military-like, or villainous
Omae can be normal in some close relationships, but it can still sound condescending or rude to a stranger, superior, or someone who does not accept that level of familiarity.
Temee vs Kisama vs Anta and Anata
you — relatively neutral, but often unnecessary; not always appropriate for superiors
あんた (anta)
you — familiar, blunt, or irritated depending on tone
お前 (omae)
you — rough/familiar; relationship-dependent
てめえ (temē)
you — highly hostile
貴様 (kisama)
you — hostile and often theatrical or old-fashioned
Do not choose a pronoun simply because every English sentence contains “you.”
Why Japanese “You” Words Can Sound Insulting
Japanese frequently omits pronouns when the listener is obvious. Explicitly selecting a low-respect second-person pronoun therefore carries strong social information.
What are you doing?
Natural Japanese without a pronoun:
何してるの？
Nani shiteru no?
What are you doing?
With a hostile pronoun:
てめえ、何してんだ？
What the hell are you doing?
That is why translating only the word as “you” misses much of the emotional force.
Common Expressions with Temee
Don’t mess with me, you bastard.
てめえのせいだ。
This is your fault.
てめえ、覚えてろ。
You’ll pay for this. / Remember this!
てめえ、なめてんのか？
Are you messing with me?
てめえだけは許さねえ。
I’ll never forgive you.
てめえでやれ。
Do it your damn self.
Common Expressions with Kisama
Who the hell are you?
貴様、許さん。
Damn you. I won’t forgive you.
貴様ごときに負けるか。
As if I would lose to someone like you.
貴様ら、覚悟しろ。
You bastards, prepare yourselves.
貴様の目的は何だ？
What is your objective?
貴様、裏切ったな。
You betrayed us, you traitor.
The suffix ら marks a group, but the insulting tone comes from the pronoun and situation.
Can Temee or Kisama Ever Sound Affectionate?
Fictional rivals or extremely close friends may use rough pronouns as part of their shared style. Comedy can also soften them.
Do not treat “sometimes affectionate in fiction” as permission to use it with real people.
When You Should Never Use Temee or Kisama
・a teacher or professor
・a boss, customer, or coworker
・a stranger
・police or officials
・someone you have just met
・a person who is already angry
・anyone unless you intentionally want to sound hostile
Safer alternatives are usually a name, title, or no pronoun at all.
Tanaka-san wa dō omoimasu ka?
What do you think, Mr./Ms. Tanaka?
どう思いますか？
Dō omoimasu ka?
What do you think?
あなたはどう思いますか？
Anata wa dō omoimasu ka?
What do you think?
⇒ Grammatically possible, but a name or omitted subject is often more natural.
Natural Example Sentences with Temee
てめえ、俺の財布を盗んだな。
Temē, ore no saifu o nusunda na.
You stole my wallet, didn’t you, bastard?
てめえの言うことなんか信じられるか。
Temē no iu koto nanka shinjirareru ka.
Why would I believe anything you say?
てめえ、二度とここに来るな。
Temē, nidoto koko ni kuru na.
Don’t ever come here again.
てめえで始めたことだろ。最後までやれ。
Temē de hajimeta koto daro. Saigo made yare.
You started it yourself. Finish it.
てめえら、いい加減にしろ。
Temēra, ii kagen ni shiro.
You bastards, enough already.
てめえ、俺を誰だと思ってる？
Temē, ore o dare da to omotteru?
Who the hell do you think I am?
Natural Example Sentences with Kisama
貴様は我々を裏切った。
Kisama wa wareware o uragitta.
You betrayed us.
貴様のような卑怯者に負けるものか。
Kisama no yō na hikyōmono ni makeru mono ka.
I will not lose to a coward like you.
貴様、ここがどこだか分かっているのか。
Kisama, koko ga doko da ka wakatte iru no ka.
Do you know where you are, you fool?
貴様ら全員、牢に入れてやる。
Kisamara zen’in, rō ni irete yaru.
I’ll throw every one of you into prison.
貴様ごときに我が計画は止められん。
Kisama gotoki ni waga keikaku wa tomeraren.
Someone as lowly as you cannot stop my plan.
貴様、名を名乗れ。
Kisama, na o nanore.
State your name.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Thinking Kisama Is Polite Because It Contains 様
The word was historically respectful, but it is insulting in modern Japanese.
Mistake 2: Translating Both Words as Plain “You”
Plain English “you” often fails to show the contempt, challenge, or theatrical tone carried by the Japanese pronoun.
Mistake 3: Believing Kisama Is More Natural Because Anime Uses It Often
Anime frequency reflects characterization and dramatic writing, not everyday conversational frequency.
Mistake 4: Using Temee as a Cool Version of Omae
Temee is not simply extra-casual. It is aggressively low-respect and can provoke conflict.
Mistake 5: Pronouncing Temee as Teme
The final vowel is long: て・め・え.
Mistake 6: Adding Polite Endings and Assuming the Sentence Becomes Polite
The verb ending is polite, but the pronoun is hostile and creates a strange or sarcastic sentence.
てめえはどう思いますか？
Also contradictory in normal use; it can sound mocking rather than respectful.
Mistake 7: Using English Subtitle Strength as a Fixed Dictionary Meaning
A subtitle may translate either pronoun as “you,” “bastard,” “asshole,” or another insult depending on the full line.
FAQ About Temee vs Kisama
What does temee mean in Japanese?
Temee is a very rough and hostile second-person pronoun meaning “you.” In context, it may be translated as “you bastard,” “you asshole,” or “you punk.”
What does kisama mean in Japanese?
Kisama is an insulting modern pronoun meaning “you.” It often has an old-fashioned, military, authoritarian, or villain-like flavor.
What is the difference between temee and kisama?
Temee sounds like direct modern confrontation. Kisama is also hostile but often sounds more theatrical, historical, military, or dramatic.
Which is ruder, temee or kisama?
Both are highly rude. Temee may feel more immediately threatening in a real modern argument, while kisama can sound intensely contemptuous but also theatrical.
Does kisama mean “you bastard”?
Literally, kisama is a pronoun meaning “you.” “You bastard” is a contextual translation used to reproduce its modern insulting force.
Does temee mean “you bastard”?
Literally, temee means “you,” but it is so aggressive that subtitles may translate it as “you bastard,” “asshole,” or “punk.”
Why is kisama rude if it contains sama?
Kisama was once respectful, but its honorific force weakened over centuries. By the late Edo period, it was used toward equals or inferiors and as an insult.
Where does temee come from?
Temee developed from temae, written 手前. Temae had first-person and second-person pronoun uses, and its contracted form temee became a low-respect and insulting way to address someone.
Is kisama used in real life?
Yes, but it is uncommon in ordinary neutral conversation. It is most noticeable in hostile speech, stylized language, military-like dialogue, anime, manga, games, and historical or fantasy fiction.
Is temee used in real life?
Yes. It can appear in serious arguments and rough speech, which is why using it can sound more immediately confrontational than theatrical kisama.
Can women use temee or kisama?
Yes, but either word makes the speaker sound deliberately rough, threatening, angry, or highly stylized.
What is the difference between temee and omae?
Omae can be familiar or rude depending on the relationship. Temee is much more openly hostile and confrontational.
What does temeera mean?
Temeera means “you people” or, in hostile context, “you bastards.” The suffix ら marks a group.
What does kisamara mean?
Kisamara addresses multiple people and may be translated as “you lot” or “you bastards.”
How do you pronounce temee?
It has three morae: て・め・え. The final e sound is long, so learner romanization may write temē or temee.
Can I use temee or kisama with friends?
Some very close friends may imitate rough speech jokingly, but both words are risky and can sound genuinely hostile. Beginners should avoid using them.
Summary: Temee vs Kisama
てめえ is a highly aggressive modern “you,” often translated as “you bastard” or “you asshole.”
● Kisama meaning
貴様 is an insulting “you” with a dramatic, military, old-fashioned, or villain-like tone.
● Main difference
Temee feels like a direct modern confrontation. Kisama often feels more theatrical or authoritarian.
● History of kisama
It was originally respectful, but its honorific meaning weakened and became insulting by the late Edo period.
● Origin of temee
It developed from 手前 (temae), which had both first- and second-person uses.
● Anime usage
Fiction uses both pronouns much more freely to create rough, threatening, or dramatic character voices.
● Beginner warning
Learn both for comprehension. Use a name, title, or omitted pronoun in real conversation.
Temee sounds like a real heated confrontation; kisama sounds hostile with a more dramatic or historical flavor.
References
- Kotobank: 手前／てめえ — meanings, first- and second-person uses, sound change from temae, historical examples, and development into an insulting form.
- Kotobank: 貴様 — modern meaning, original respectful use, and historical decline in honorific force.
- Goo Dictionary: 手前（てめえ） — modern pronoun definitions and relation to temae.