himself
gb/hɪmsˈɛlf/ us/hɪmsˈɛlf/
A2
English
~ 400
magát, ő maga, maga
A2
1
magát
A2
Usage pattern:
[he] [verb] himself
He taught himself how to play the guitar.
Magától tanult meg gitározni.
The boy hurt himself while playing football.
A fiú megütötte magát, miközben focizott.
My father built the shed all by himself.
The actor introduced himself to the audience.
He blamed himself for the mistake.
Learner examples
He washed himself in the morning.
Reggel megmosta magát.
The man cut himself with a knife.
A férfi megvágta magát egy késsel.
He saw himself in the mirror.
He made himself a sandwich.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'himself' with 'him' in reflexive contexts, e.g., saying 'He hurt him' instead of 'He hurt himself'.
Meaning
Reflexive pronoun for 'he'
Collocations
by himself
|hurt himself
|taught himself
|introduced himself
Synonyms
oneself (A more general reflexive pronoun; not gender-specific.)
Antonyms
someone else (Refers to another person, not the same person as the subject.)
Themes
grammar
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Used to talk about a man, boy, or male animal when he does something to him, not to another person.
The reflexive form of 'he', used when the subject and object of a verb are the same male person or animal.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[he/him] himself [verb/verb phrase]
The president himself attended the ceremony.
Az elnök maga vett részt az ünnepségen.
He himself admitted that he was wrong.
Ő maga is beismerte, hogy tévedett.
The author himself signed my copy.
The chef himself prepared our meal.
The king himself greeted the guests.
Learner examples
The teacher himself came to the class.
A tanár maga jött a tanórára.
He himself opened the door.
Ő maga nyitotta ki az ajtót.
The singer himself talked to me.
The boss himself made the call.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'himself' for emphasis in informal speech where it can sound unnatural.
Meaning
Emphatic form of 'he'
Collocations
the president himself
|the man himself
|he himself said
Synonyms
personally (Adverb emphasizing direct involvement; lacks pronoun function.)
Antonyms
someone else (Refers to another person, not the emphasized individual.)
Themes
grammar
|emphasis
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Used to show it is that man or boy, and not another person.
Used for emphasis to refer to a male person, meaning that person and no one else.
Grammar
Dictionary form
himself
IPA
GB/hɪmsˈɛlf/
US/hɪmsˈɛlf/
Syllables & stress
him - self (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (self)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: himself
- Plural: himselves
Word family
Expressions
all by himself
1/ˈɔl bˈaɪ hɪmsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Completely alone, without any help
To do something completely alone, with no one helping at all.
Examples
- He painted the entire house all by himself.
- She raised her child all by herself after her husband left.
by himself
1/bˈaɪ hɪmsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Alone, without help
To be alone or to do something without help from other people.
Examples
- He lives by himself in a small apartment.
- The boy finished the puzzle all by himself.
by himself
1/bˈaɪ hɪmsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
alone or unaided
alone or without help
Examples
- He's only four, but he can put on his shoes by himself.
- After the argument, Mark sat by himself in the kitchen.
Learner examples
- My son can read simple books by himself now.