Word
himself
Phoneticshim·self, stress on the second syllable
US/hɪmˈsɛɫf/
UK/hɪmsˈɛlf/
Definitions
01reflexive use
A2 · Elementary
pron. you use this when the man or boy doing the action is also the one receiving the action.
pron. the reflexive form of 'he', used as the object of a verb or preposition when it refers to the same person as the subject.
日本語:自分※
“He cut himself while he was cooking dinner last night.”
“The protagonist often found himself caught between his professional obligations and his personal desire for a quiet life in the countryside.”
02the man of the house
C1 · Advanced Dialect · British English
pron. a way to refer to the most important man in a place, like a boss or a husband.
pron. used as a subject or object to refer to the master of a house, a husband, or a person of high status.
“Is himself at home, or has he gone out to the farm?”
“The staff waited in silence for himself to arrive, knowing that the meeting could not proceed without the master's final approval.”
Synonyms
Usage
Functions as a reflexive pronoun or an intensive pronoun; it must agree in gender and number with its antecedent.
Pitfall
He did it by hisself
He did it by himself
Learners often mistakenly create 'hisself' by following the pattern of 'myself' or 'yourself', but the masculine form uses the object pronoun 'him' as its base.
Etymology
From Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum. Equivalent to him + -self.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/himself
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0