WordGarden.iohimself
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /hɪmsˈɛlf/
US
- /hɪmˈsɛlf/
Meanings
Pronoun
the same male person or animal as the subject
used to emphasize that a male person did or experienced something personally
Beyond the definition
"Himself" points back to a man or boy already named as the subject of the sentence. It is used when the action returns to that same person, as in "He hurt himself while playing soccer." It is also used for emphasis, especially when you want to show that he did something alone or in person, as in "He built the treehouse himself."
You will often see it in everyday moments: a boy teaching himself a song, a man blaming himself for a mistake, or a father fixing the car himself on a quiet afternoon. In each case, the word makes the link clear between the subject and the person affected or emphasized.
"Himself" is a reflexive pronoun, a word that sends the action back to the subject of the sentence. It usually refers to a man or boy. If we say, "He cut himself while shaving," the person doing the action and the person receiving it are the same. The same pattern appears in sentences like "He taught himself French," "He blamed himself for the loss," or "He introduced himself to the group." In all of these, the word helps English avoid confusion by showing that the action comes back to the male subject.
It also has a second job: emphasis. In this use, it does not show who receives the action, but adds force to the sentence. "The president himself signed the letter" tells us that the important man did it in person. "He fixed the bike himself" suggests independence, effort, or pride. This use often appears when a speaker wants to highlight that no helper stepped in, or that the person was personally involved.
There are also common patterns built around identity and inner feeling. Someone can be "proud of himself," "ashamed of himself," or "not himself today," though that last phrase has a slightly different sense, meaning he does not seem normal or well. The key idea stays steady across these uses: the word points back to the same male person already at the center of the sentence. If the subject is female, English uses "herself" instead.
Examples
- 1
Accidental injury
He cut himself while cooking dinner.
- 2
Self-blame
He blamed himself for the mistake.
- 3
Self-teaching
Leo taught himself to play the guitar.
- 4
Child independence
The little boy can get dressed by himself now.
- Phraseby himself
without help
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Emphasis
Mr. Chen built the table himself.
- Grammar
himself can add emphasis: he did it, not someone else
- 6
Living alone
He lives by himself in a small apartment.
- Phrase
by himself can also mean alone
- 7
Return to normal
After the shock wore off, he was himself again.
- Phrasebe himself again
return to his usual mood or behavior
- 8
Unusual behavior
He's been quiet all morning; he doesn't seem like himself.
- Phrasenot seem like himself
not seem normal or usual
- 9
Private information
He kept the problem to himself for weeks.
- Patternkeep X to himself
not tell other people
- 10
Private reaction
Hearing the old song, he smiled to himself.
- Phrasesmile to himself
smile quietly, without speaking to others
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
- him
Used with (collocations)
- hurt himself
- by himself
- proud of himself
Explore
- reflexive pronoun
- intensive pronoun
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- himselfpronoun