ourselves
- 01 A2 Elementary
you use this when 'we' are the ones doing the action and also the ones receiving it.
the reflexive form of 'we', used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject and object refer to the same group of people.
Simple“We looked at ourselves in the mirror before leaving the house.”
In context“We found ourselves in a difficult position after the funding was suddenly withdrawn, forcing us to reconsider our entire strategy.”
UsageAlways used when the subject of the clause is 'we'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
you use this to emphasize that 'we' did something alone, without help from anyone else.
an intensive pronoun used to emphasize the subject 'we', often to indicate that the group acted independently or without external assistance.
Simple“We painted the whole kitchen ourselves over the weekend.”
In context“While the consultants provided the data, we ourselves had to make the final decision regarding the merger.”
UsageCan be placed immediately after 'we' or at the end of the clause.
Synonyms
Morphologically our + -selves.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.