Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, Yourself, Himself, Herself, Itself, Ourselves, Themselves
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reflexive pronouns show that the subject and object of a sentence are the same person or thing.
- Use reflexive pronouns when the subject performs an action on itself: 'I cut myself.'
- Use them for emphasis (intensive): 'I did it myself.'
- Do not use them as subjects: 'John and I went' (not 'John and myself').
Overview
- She cut herself while cooking.
- He looked at himself in the mirror.
- The cat cleaned itself.
- We introduced ourselves to the new neighbours.
- I cooked this dinner myself. (I didn't need help)
- The president himself attended. (surprising / impressive)
- Did you build this yourself?
- She lives by herself. (= alone)
- He finished the project by himself. (= without help)
Reflexive Pronoun Formation
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
I
|
myself
|
I cut myself.
|
|
You (singular)
|
yourself
|
You hurt yourself.
|
|
He
|
himself
|
He taught himself.
|
|
She
|
herself
|
She loves herself.
|
|
It
|
itself
|
It fixed itself.
|
|
We
|
ourselves
|
We enjoyed ourselves.
|
|
You (plural)
|
yourselves
|
You all enjoyed yourselves.
|
|
They
|
themselves
|
They blamed themselves.
|
Meanings
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or entity.
Reflexive Action
The subject performs an action on itself.
“He looked at himself in the mirror.”
“They hurt themselves playing soccer.”
Intensive/Emphatic
Used to emphasize the subject or to show they did it without help.
“I wrote the report myself.”
“The CEO herself attended the meeting.”
By + Reflexive
Meaning 'alone' or 'without help'.
“She lives by herself.”
“He learned to code by himself.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb + Reflexive
|
I taught myself.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Aux + not + Verb + Reflexive
|
I didn't hurt myself.
|
|
Question
|
Aux + Subject + Verb + Reflexive?
|
Did you enjoy yourself?
|
|
Emphasis
|
Subject + Reflexive + Verb
|
I myself saw it.
|
|
Independence
|
Verb + by + Reflexive
|
She lives by herself.
|
|
Imperative
|
Verb + Reflexive
|
Help yourself!
|
Spectre de formalité
I completed the task independently. (Work/School)
I did the work by myself. (Work/School)
I did it all on my own. (Work/School)
I soloed it. (Work/School)
Reflexive Pronoun Map
Singular
- myself yo mismo
- yourself tú mismo
Plural
- ourselves nosotros mismos
- themselves ellos mismos
Object vs. Reflexive
Do I need a reflexive?
Is the subject the same as the object?
Usage Types
Functions
- • Reflexive Action
- • Emphasis
- • Independence
Exemples par niveau
I wash myself.
Yo me lavo.
He looks at himself.
Él se mira.
We enjoy ourselves.
Nosotros disfrutamos.
They like themselves.
Ellos se gustan.
I did it by myself.
Lo hice solo.
She made the cake herself.
Ella hizo el pastel ella misma.
Did you hurt yourself?
¿Te hiciste daño?
The cat cleaned itself.
El gato se limpió.
The CEO herself signed it.
La propia CEO lo firmó.
We found ourselves in a difficult situation.
Nos encontramos en una situación difícil.
He taught himself to play guitar.
Él aprendió a tocar la guitarra solo.
They blamed themselves for the loss.
Se culparon a sí mismos por la pérdida.
I'll handle the logistics myself.
Yo mismo manejaré la logística.
The house itself is quite old.
La casa en sí es bastante vieja.
She prides herself on her punctuality.
Ella se enorgullece de su puntualidad.
They were left to fend for themselves.
Fueron dejados a su suerte.
The theory itself is sound, but the application is flawed.
La teoría en sí es sólida, pero la aplicación es defectuosa.
He himself admitted that the plan was risky.
Él mismo admitió que el plan era arriesgado.
They found themselves at a crossroads.
Se encontraron en una encrucijada.
I have to remind myself that progress takes time.
Tengo que recordarme que el progreso toma tiempo.
The author himself was present at the premiere.
El autor mismo estuvo presente en el estreno.
She is a success story in and of herself.
Ella es una historia de éxito por sí misma.
They have effectively isolated themselves from the community.
Se han aislado efectivamente de la comunidad.
The system is designed to correct itself.
El sistema está diseñado para corregirse a sí mismo.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up 'me' and 'myself'.
Mixing 'themselves' with 'each other'.
Using 'myself' instead of 'I'.
Erreurs courantes
I wash me.
I wash myself.
He look at him.
He looks at himself.
She love she.
She loves herself.
We enjoy we.
We enjoy ourselves.
I did it by me.
I did it by myself.
They did it themself.
They did it themselves.
Myself went to the store.
I went to the store.
I cut my finger myself.
I cut my finger.
He shaved him.
He shaved.
Them people did it theirself.
Those people did it themselves.
Please contact myself for details.
Please contact me for details.
Them and myself are going.
They and I are going.
She is a great person her own self.
She is a great person herself.
Structures de phrases
I taught myself to ___.
I did the ___ myself.
She lives by ___.
The ___ itself is ___.
Real World Usage
I took this selfie myself!
I'm treating myself tonight.
I managed the project by myself.
I booked the flight myself.
I ordered myself a burger.
The data itself is inconclusive.
The Mirror Test
No Reflexive Subjects
Emphasis
Business Jargon
Smart Tips
Place the reflexive pronoun immediately after the subject.
Use 'by + reflexive' to sound natural.
Always replace it with a subject pronoun.
Ask: 'Is the subject doing this to someone else?' If yes, use an object pronoun. If no, use a reflexive.
Prononciation
Stress
In reflexive pronouns, the stress is usually on the second syllable (my-SELF).
Emphatic
I did it MY-self! ↑
Conveys pride or surprise.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Self is the key, when subject and object agree.
Association visuelle
Imagine looking into a mirror. The person in the mirror is you. You are pointing at yourself.
Rhyme
When the subject and object are the same, add -self to the pronoun's name.
Story
Sarah wanted to bake a cake. She didn't want any help. She went to the kitchen by herself. She baked the cake herself. She was very proud of herself.
Word Web
Défi
Write three sentences about things you did alone today using 'by myself'.
Notes culturelles
Reflexive pronouns are often used in business settings to sound 'professional', though this is often grammatically incorrect (e.g., 'Contact myself').
More conservative usage; hyper-correction is less common than in American corporate environments.
In many non-native contexts, 'myself' is used as a formal introduction, which is a common cultural marker.
Reflexive pronouns evolved from Old English combinations of personal pronouns and the word 'self'.
Amorces de conversation
What is something you taught yourself to do?
Do you prefer working by yourself or in a team?
Have you ever hurt yourself doing a sport?
Who is the most famous person you have seen yourself?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
She taught ___ how to swim.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Myself and John went to the park.
I made this cake without help.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Who fixed the sink? B: I fixed it ___.
'The cat cleaned itself.'
enjoyed / at / we / the / party / ourselves
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesShe taught ___ how to swim.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Myself and John went to the park.
I made this cake without help.
We -> ?
A: Who fixed the sink? B: I fixed it ___.
'The cat cleaned itself.'
enjoyed / at / we / the / party / ourselves
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It is increasingly accepted in singular, gender-neutral contexts, but 'themselves' is still the standard plural.
Reflexive pronouns cannot be the subject of a sentence. Use 'John and I'.
'By myself' means alone. 'Myself' can mean emphasis (I did it myself) or reflexive action (I cut myself).
No. Only transitive verbs where the subject and object are the same.
Yes, it means you had a good time.
It is a common error in business English where people try to sound formal but use the wrong pronoun.
Yes, use 'itself' for animals and objects.
Yes, this is called an intensive pronoun.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
pronombres reflexivos (me, te, se)
Spanish uses reflexive pronouns for many more verbs than English.
pronoms réfléchis (me, te, se)
French uses them for passive-like constructions more often.
Reflexivpronomen (mich, dich, sich)
German reflexive pronouns are more case-dependent.
jibun
Japanese 'jibun' is not strictly tied to the subject in the same way.
nafs
It is a noun-based construction rather than a pronoun-based one.
zìjǐ
It does not change based on the person (no 'myself' vs 'themselves').
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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