himself
The word itself is derived from the Old English 'himself,' which is a compound of 'him' and 'self'.
PRON
(1)
[/hɪmˈsɛlf/en-US]
a sí mismo
literal
/
él mismo
formal
/
uno mismo
formal
/
en sí mismo
literary
/
concepto de uno mismo
untranslatable
(No direct equivalent concept in SPANISH)
The reflexive or emphatic form of the pronoun 'he' or 'him', used to refer back to a male person or an animal that is male. It can indicate that the subject performs an action upon himself, or it can be used to emphasize that a male person did something personally.
- He accidentally cut himself while shaving. — This shows the reflexive use, where the subject 'he' is also the object of the action.
- The boy was proud because he built the model airplane himself. — This demonstrates the emphatic use, highlighting that he did it personally without help.
- He found himself alone in the large, empty house. — An example of 'himself' used reflexively to indicate a state or situation.
- The director decided to oversee the project himself. — This emphasizes the director's personal involvement.
- He likes to work by himself, preferring solitude. — This is an idiomatic use meaning 'alone' or 'on his own'.