Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'myself' or 'himself' to emphasize that a specific person performed an action, often to show surprise or importance.
- Add -self to singular and -selves to plural pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
- Place it immediately after the noun or at the end of the clause.
- If you remove it, the sentence still makes perfect sense.
Overview
myself, yourself, himself와 같은 형태들은 이미 초급 단계에서 '재귀적 용법(Reflexive use)'으로 접해보셨을 겁니다.I cut myself(나는 손을 베었다)처럼 주어와 목적어가 일치할 때 사용하는 방식이죠.I myself checked the documents 또는 I checked the documents myself로 표현합니다. 한국어에서는 부사가 동사를 수식하는 느낌이 강하다면, 영어의 강조 재귀대명사는 명사(주어)를 다시 한번 지칭하며 그 존재감을 부각하는 방식입니다.- 재귀적 용법:
He taught himself.(그는 독학했다.) ->himself를 빼면He taught가 되어 문장이 불완전해지거나 의미가 변합니다. - 강조적 용법:
He repaired the car himself.(그는 직접 차를 수리했다.) ->himself를 빼도He repaired the car라는 완벽한 문장이 남습니다. 단지 '직접'이라는 강조의 의미만 사라질 뿐입니다.
- 주어 바로 뒤:
The CEO himself called me.(CEO가 직접 나에게 전화했다.) - 이 위치는 매우 격식 있고 단호한 느낌을 줍니다. 다른 누구도 아닌 '바로 그 사람'임을 즉각적으로 선언하는 효과가 있습니다.
- 문장 맨 끝:
I will talk to the manager myself.(내가 직접 매니저와 이야기하겠다.) - 가장 일반적이고 자연스러운 위치입니다. 행동의 결과나 방식(도움 없이 혼자서)에 조금 더 초점이 맞춰집니다.
myself | I myself have never seen such a thing. |yourself | You should do the assignment yourself. |himself | The director himself approved the budget. |herself | She herself designed the entire app layout. |itself | The building itself is beautiful, but the location is poor. |ourselves | We ourselves are responsible for this outcome. |yourselves | You must find the solution yourselves. |themselves | The students themselves requested the change. |hisself나theirselves는 표준 영어가 아닙니다. 구어체에서 간혹 들릴 수 있으나, C1 수준의 학습자라면 반드시himself,themselves를 사용해야 합니다.- 무생물 주어인
it을 강조할 때itself를 사용하면, '그것의 본질'이나 '다른 주변 요소가 아닌 그것 자체'를 강조하는 매우 세련된 표현이 됩니다. (예:The price itself is not the problem.- 가격 그 자체가 문제는 아니다.)
I coded this entire website myself.(이 웹사이트 전체를 누구의 도움도 없이 내가 직접 코딩했어.)The children prepared the dinner themselves.(아이들이 어른들의 도움 없이 직접 저녁을 차렸어.)
I got a reply from the author herself!(작가한테 직접 답장을 받았어! - 비서가 아닌 작가 본인에게서)The President himself signed the decree.(대통령이 친히 그 법령에 서명했다.)
I myself believe that this strategy is flawed.(나 개인적으로는 이 전략에 결함이 있다고 믿습니다.)You yourselves are the best judges of your own performance.(여러분 스스로가 여러분의 성과를 가장 잘 판단할 수 있는 분들입니다.)
The software itself is free, but the plugins cost money.(소프트웨어 자체는 무료지만, 플러그인은 유료입니다.)The idea itself was brilliant, but the execution was poor.(아이디어 그 자체는 훌륭했지만, 실행이 부족했습니다.)
myself를 단독으로 사용하는 오류myself를 쓰는 경우가 많습니다.- Incorrect:
My colleague and myself will attend the meeting. - Correct:
My colleague and I will attend the meeting. - Why?
myself는 강조어일 뿐 주어가 될 수 없습니다. 주어는 항상I여야 합니다. 굳이 강조하고 싶다면I myself will attend...라고 해야 합니다.
me 대신 myself를 쓰는 오류me를 써야 할 자리에 myself를 남용하는 경향이 있습니다.- Incorrect:
Please send the feedback to John or myself. - Correct:
Please send the feedback to John or me. - Why? 주어와 목적어가 일치할 때만 재귀대명사를 씁니다. 이 문장의 주어는 (You)이므로 목적어는
me가 되어야 합니다. 많은 원어민들도 실수하는 부분이지만, C1 레벨에서는 정확히 구분해야 합니다.
by를 누락하는 경우I did it myself.(내가 직접 했다 - 강조)I did it by myself.(나 혼자서, 즉 타인 없이 외롭게 혹은 독립적으로 했다 - 상태)
myself만 써도 되지만, '고립'이나 '완전한 단독 수행'을 강조할 때는 by myself가 더 적절합니다.I'll do it myself. (내가 직접 할게) |I saw myself in the mirror. (거울 속의 나를 봤다) |I live by myself. (나는 혼자 산다) |He finished it on his own. (그는 제 힘으로 끝냈다) |I built this house myself.라고 하면 «업자에게 맡기지 않고 내 손으로 직접 지었다»는 자부심이 느껴지는 반면, I built this house by myself.라고 하면 «도와주는 사람 한 명 없이 정말 혼자서 힘들게 지었다»는 고독한 노력이 더 강조됩니다.myself, himself를 붙이면 오히려 문장이 장황해지고, 화자가 지나치게 자기중심적이거나 방어적으로 보일 수 있습니다. 정말로 '누가' 했는지가 중요한 순간에만 아껴서 사용하세요.The town itself처럼 사물에 쓰는 건 의인화인가요?The town itself is quiet.라고 하면 마을 주변의 도로 상황이나 관광객 소음이 아니라, 그 마을이 가진 원래의 성격이 조용하다는 뜻입니다. 추상적인 개념(예: The problem itself)에도 아주 많이 쓰입니다.himself를 주어 바로 뒤에 쓰는 것과 문장 끝에 쓰는 것 중 무엇이 더 좋나요?The King himself...)는 매우 드라마틱하고 격식 있는 문어체에서 선호됩니다. 반면 문장 끝(The King signed it himself.)은 일상적인 대화나 일반적인 비즈니스 상황에서 훨씬 자연스럽게 들립니다. 강조하고 싶은 대상이 주어라면 주어 뒤에, 행동 그 자체라면 문장 끝에 두는 것이 팁입니다.I myself라고 하면 '나'를 두 번 말하는 것 같아 어색한데, 원어민들은 자주 쓰나요?I myself는 자신의 의견을 피력할 때 «다른 사람은 몰라도 나는 이렇게 생각한다»는 대조의 의미를 담아 자주 활용되는 고급 표현입니다.Emphatic Pronoun Forms
| Subject Pronoun | Emphatic Form (Singular) | Emphatic Form (Plural) |
|---|---|---|
|
I
|
myself
|
N/A
|
|
You
|
yourself
|
yourselves
|
|
He
|
himself
|
N/A
|
|
She
|
herself
|
N/A
|
|
It
|
itself
|
N/A
|
|
We
|
N/A
|
ourselves
|
|
They
|
themselves (singular they)
|
themselves
|
Meanings
A pronoun used to add emphasis to a noun or another pronoun that has already been mentioned in the sentence.
Direct Emphasis
Used to emphasize that the person mentioned, and no one else, performed the action.
“I will speak to the manager myself.”
“The President himself called to congratulate the team.”
Independence/Solitude
Used to stress that an action was done without help from others.
“Did you build this entire house yourself?”
“The children cooked dinner themselves.”
Rhetorical Contrast
Used to contrast one person's actions or qualities against another's.
“You should follow the rules yourself before lecturing others.”
“The doctor, himself a smoker, warned me about lung health.”
Reference Table
| 주어 | 강조 재귀대명사 | 예시 문장 |
|---|---|---|
|
I
|
myself
|
I `myself` baked this entire cake.
|
|
You (singular)
|
yourself
|
Did you build that gaming PC `yourself`?
|
|
He
|
himself
|
The manager `himself` approved the discount.
|
|
She
|
herself
|
She `herself` admitted to the mistake.
|
|
It
|
itself
|
The app updated `itself` overnight.
|
|
We
|
ourselves
|
We `ourselves` crafted the presentation slides.
|
|
You (plural)
|
yourselves
|
You should see the results `yourselves`.
|
|
They
|
themselves
|
The students `themselves` chose the topic.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
I myself authored the report. (Workplace)
I wrote the report myself. (Workplace)
I did the report all by myself. (Workplace)
I crushed that report solo. (Workplace)
강조 재귀대명사: 핵심 개념
목적
- 강조 주어의 직접적인 개입을 강조합니다.
- 주체성 주어가 단독으로 행동했음을 강조합니다.
- 구별 누가 했는지 명확히 하며, 종종 다른 사람들과 대조합니다.
형성
- 단수 대명사 + -self (예: my+self)
- 복수 대명사 + -selves (예: our+selves)
배치
- 주어 뒤 She herself cooked.
- 절의 끝 She cooked herself.
대조
- 재귀 (목적어) I cut myself. (주어 = 목적어)
- 강조 I cooked dinner myself. (주어가 행동을 수행, 목적어가 아님)
강조 vs. 재귀 (목적어) 대명사
강조 재귀대명사를 사용해야 할까요?
주어가 *직접* 행동을 수행했음을 강조하고 싶나요?
재귀대명사를 제거해도 문장의 핵심 의미(누가 무엇을 했는지)는 강조 없이 유지되나요?
숫자에 따른 강조 재귀대명사
단수 주어
- • I -> myself
- • You (singular) -> yourself
- • He -> himself
- • She -> herself
- • It -> itself
복수 주어
- • We -> ourselves
- • You (plural) -> yourselves
- • They -> themselves
사용 맥락
- • 독립적인 행동 (예: 'I built it myself')
- • 개인적인 신념 (예: 'I myself believe...')
- • 권위 강조 (예: 'The CEO himself...')
수준별 예문
I did my homework myself.
I did my homework myself.
Did you cook this yourself?
Did you cook this yourself?
He fixed the toy himself.
He fixed the toy himself.
We cleaned the room ourselves.
We cleaned the room ourselves.
The teacher herself gave me the book.
The teacher herself gave me the book.
They built the garden shed themselves.
They built the garden shed themselves.
You must do it yourself, John.
You must do it yourself, John.
The cat opened the door itself.
The cat opened the door itself.
I spoke to the manager myself to resolve the issue.
I spoke to the manager myself to resolve the issue.
The movie itself was boring, but the music was great.
The movie itself was boring, but the music was great.
She herself didn't know the answer to the question.
She herself didn't know the answer to the question.
We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness.
We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness.
The President himself signed the new law this morning.
The President himself signed the new law this morning.
You yourselves are the best judges of your own work.
You yourselves are the best judges of your own work.
The house itself is beautiful, though the location is poor.
The house itself is beautiful, though the location is poor.
I don't agree with the policy myself, but I have to follow it.
I don't agree with the policy myself, but I have to follow it.
The CEO, himself a former intern, values entry-level input.
The CEO, himself a former intern, values entry-level input.
Whether the data itself is reliable remains a point of contention.
Whether the data itself is reliable remains a point of contention.
They themselves have admitted to making several tactical errors.
They themselves have admitted to making several tactical errors.
I would prefer to handle the negotiations myself, if you don't mind.
I would prefer to handle the negotiations myself, if you don't mind.
The sheer audacity of the proposal itself was enough to silence the room.
The sheer audacity of the proposal itself was enough to silence the room.
He was a man who, though himself impoverished, gave everything to the poor.
He was a man who, though himself impoverished, gave everything to the poor.
The nuances of the language are best explained by a native speaker themselves.
The nuances of the language are best explained by a native speaker themselves.
I myself am inclined to believe that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
I myself am inclined to believe that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
혼동하기 쉬운
They look exactly the same as emphatic pronouns.
'By myself' means 'alone', while 'myself' just adds emphasis.
자주 하는 실수
I did it me.
I did it myself.
We did it ourself.
We did it ourselves.
The Queen opened the hospital herself.
The Queen herself opened the hospital.
Myself and the team will handle it.
The team and I will handle it.
문장 패턴
I ___ it myself.
The ___ himself/herself ___-ed the ___.
The ___ itself is ___, but ___.
Real World Usage
I myself managed the entire transition to the new server.
I want to speak to the owner himself.
I can't believe I baked this myself! 🎂
The experiment itself yielded no significant results.
Did you see that yourself or just hear about it?
I saw the defendant himself enter the building.
배치 유연성
She herself admitted it)나 절의 끝(She admitted it herself)에 올 수 있어요. 둘 다 맞으니, 문장에서 가장 강조하고 싶은 부분에 따라 선택하면 됩니다.목적어 대체 불가
Send the email to myself (틀린 표현, to me가 맞음)나 My friend and myself wentMy friend and I'누가 했지?' 지표
맥락이 중요해요
Smart Tips
Avoid using 'myself' when 'me' or 'I' is correct. It doesn't make you sound smarter; it makes you look like you're trying too hard.
Place the emphatic pronoun immediately after the subject to highlight the shock factor.
Remove the word. If the sentence is still a complete thought, it's emphatic.
Ensure you use 'ourselves' or 'themselves' to emphasize the group's unified action.
발음
Stress on '-self'
In emphatic use, the stress usually falls heavily on the '-self' or '-selves' syllable to show importance.
Rising-Falling
I did it my⤴self⤵.
Conveys a sense of pride or completion.
암기하기
기억법
Emphatic is 'Extra'. If you can take it out and the sentence still stands, it's emphatic.
시각적 연상
Imagine a spotlight shining on the subject of the sentence. The emphatic pronoun is the spotlight—it doesn't change who is on stage, it just makes them stand out more.
Rhyme
If the sentence stays the same when the '-self' is gone, it's an Emphatic Pronoun you're looking upon.
Story
A king wanted to prove he could bake. He told his servants, 'I will bake the bread myself.' When the bread was done, the servants said, 'The King himself baked this!' The 'himself' was just to show how special the event was.
Word Web
챌린지
Write three things you did yesterday, then rewrite them adding an emphatic pronoun to show you did them without help.
문화 노트
In very formal British English, 'one's self' might be used, though 'oneself' is the standard emphatic form for the impersonal 'one'.
Americans frequently use 'myself' in place of 'me' or 'I' in business settings (e.g., 'Contact myself for details'), though this is technically grammatically incorrect.
In some Irish dialects, 'himself' or 'herself' can refer to the head of the household or a spouse without mentioning their name.
From Old English 'self', used as an adjective meaning 'same' or 'identical'.
대화 시작하기
Have you ever met a famous person yourself?
If you could build a house yourself, what would it look like?
Do you think the government itself is responsible for the economy?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
The president ______ decided to veto the bill.
Himself는 대통령이 직접 결정을 내렸음을 올바르게 강조합니다. Him은 목적어이고, he는 주어입니다. His self는 유효한 대명사가 아닙니다.Find and fix the mistake:
The project was completed by myself and my team.
Myself는 이 맥락에서 by와 같은 전치사의 목적어로 사용될 수 없습니다. 올바른 목적어 대명사는 me입니다. 자신을 다른 사람들과 함께 나열할 때는 자신을 마지막에 두세요.Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Nosotros mismos construimos esta casa.'
Answer starts with: ["W...
Ourselves는 '우리'가 집을 지었다는 것을 강조하는 데 사용됩니다.Score: /4
연습 문제
8 exercisesThe Queen ___ signed the document.
Choose the correct sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
Myself and John will finish the project.
The Director approved the plan.
An emphatic pronoun is necessary for a sentence to be grammatically correct.
A: Did the plumber fix the sink? B: No, I fixed it ___.
'She bought herself a new car.'
Match the pairs.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesI ______ made all the travel arrangements for the trip.
The CEO gave the award to myself.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella misma llamó al servicio al cliente.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
The students built the robot ______ for the science fair.
My sister and myself are going to the concert.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Tú mismo puedes solucionar este problema.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
Score: /12
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
'Myself' is used for emphasis (I did it myself), while 'by myself' specifically means 'alone' or 'without anyone else present'.
Yes, in modern English, 'themself' is increasingly used for a singular person of unspecified gender, though 'themselves' is still more common in formal writing.
This is a common hypercorrection in business English. People think it sounds more formal than 'me', but it is actually grammatically incorrect.
Yes! For example: 'I like the house itself, but not the garden.' Here, 'itself' emphasizes the object 'house'.
Use 'yourselves' for a group of people and 'yourself' for one person.
No. It must follow the noun or pronoun it emphasizes, or come at the end of the clause.
Most languages have a way to add emphasis, but they don't all use a '-self' pronoun system like English.
You usually need the subject pronoun first. 'Himself went' is incorrect; 'He himself went' is correct and formal.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
mismo
Spanish 'mismo' is an adjective, while English '-self' is a pronoun.
-même
French always uses a hyphen between the pronoun and 'même'.
selbst / selber
German 'selbst' is indeclinable, whereas English has different forms (myself, ourselves).
jibun (自分) / mizukara (自ら)
Japanese often omits the subject entirely, making the emphasis function differently.
nafs (نفس)
The word 'nafs' is a noun that literally means 'soul'.
zìjǐ (自己)
'Zìjǐ' does not change regardless of person or number.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
관련 동영상
05:44 Billie Eilish - BLUE (Isolated Vocals)
03:39 Rogue One: Darth Vader's Fortress
01:32 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Why the halfling (Full HD)
ALL PERSONAL PRONOUNS | I, me, my, mine, myself ...
Arnel's Everyday English
The Parts of Speech: PRONOUNS | 8 Types of Pronouns | English Grammar for Beginners
Sparkle English
Related Grammar Rules
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