ENGLISH
REFERENCE

himself

pron.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //hɪmˈsɛɫf// UK //hɪmsˈɛlf// him·self General-service

pron. the form of the word 'him' that you use when the man or boy doing the action is also the one receiving it. You also use it to emphasize that he did something alone or without help.

pron. the reflexive form of the third-person singular masculine pronoun. Used as the object of a verb or preposition when the referent is the same as the subject of the clause, or as an intensive pronoun for emphasis.


SIMPLE

He looked at himself in the mirror.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef prepared the entire five-course meal himself without any help from the kitchen staff.

COMPLEX

By teaching himself to code during his commute, he eventually secured a position that allowed him to work remotely and spend more time with his family.

Origin

From Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum. Equivalent to him + -self.

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 hisselfHe did it by himselfLearners often mistakenly create 'hisself' by following the pattern of 'myself' or 'yourself', but the masculine form uses the object pronoun 'him' as its base.

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