あなた・君・お前

About

あなた, 君きみ, and お前まえ are Japanese second-person pronouns, used to indicate "you".

あなた can be direct and slightly rude when used unnecessarily. Its use in situations where one's name or title is unknown is acceptable, but it is best avoided when dealing with anyone in a superior position. It is also sometimes used as a way to refer endearingly to one's husband or general romantic partner.

君きみ can be even ruder than あなた if used in the wrong situation. It is often used by people in positions of power to refer to their subordinates. Both あなた and 君きみ can be used without negative connotations in a literary context. It can also be poetic.

お前まえ is the rudest of the three, and is best avoided unless you want to express anger, or intimacy with a very close friend/partner/family member. Both 君きみ and お前まえ are used extremely often in manga and anime.

In everyday situations, second-person pronouns should be avoided in place of one's name or title.

Summary

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  あなた, 君きみ, and お前まえ mean "you"

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  Generally, the use of second-person pronouns in Japanese should be avoided, and one's name or title should be used instead