myself
gb/maɪsˈɛlf/ us/maɪsˈɛlf/
A2
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A2
relation
1
Refers to the speaker or writer
Used when you talk about you, the person speaking or writing, especially after a verb or preposition, or to make 'I' stronger.
Usage pattern:
I [verb] [myself]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'myself' instead of 'I' or 'me' incorrectly, such as in 'My friend and myself went to the store' instead of 'My friend and I'.
Synonyms
me ('Me' is the object form of 'I', but 'myself' is used for emphasis or reflexive meaning.)
Collocations
by myself
|for myself
|help myself
|hurt myself
|introduce myself
Themes
grammar
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- I made myself a cup of tea.
- I hurt myself while fixing the chair.
- I wrote the report myself to ensure accuracy.
- She asked me, not anyone else, so I answered myself.
- I’m going to introduce myself to the new neighbors.
Learner examples
- I washed myself.
- I made myself a sandwich.
- I taught myself to swim.
- I will introduce myself to the teacher.
- I saw myself in the mirror.
pronoun
A2
state
2
Alone, without help from others
Means you are alone or do something with no other people helping you.
Usage pattern:
[do something] by myself
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'by myself' with 'myself' in non-reflexive uses; 'I like being by myself' is correct, not 'I like being myself'.
Synonyms
alone ('Alone' is more general; 'by myself' emphasizes self-sufficiency.)
Antonyms
together (Means with other people, opposite of being alone.)
Collocations
live by myself
|travel by myself
|sit by myself
Themes
daily life
|self-reliance
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- I live by myself in a small apartment.
- He traveled by himself across Europe.
- Sometimes I like to sit by myself and read.
- She fixed the car by herself without help.
- I cooked the whole meal by myself.
Learner examples
- I live by myself.
- I eat lunch by myself.
- I went to the park by myself.
- I fixed the bike by myself.
- I like to walk by myself.
Grammar
Expressions
by myself
1/bˈaɪ maɪsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Alone or without help
Alone or without any help from other people.
Examples
- I finished the project by myself.
- He prefers to travel by himself.
help myself
1/hˈɛlp maɪsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Take for oneself freely
To take food, drink, or something else for yourself without asking or waiting for someone to give it to you.
Examples
- Please help yourself to some cake.
- He helped himself to another drink.
hurt myself
1/hˈɚt maɪsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Cause injury to oneself
To cause pain or injury to your own body.
Examples
- I hurt myself while playing basketball.
- Be careful not to hurt yourself with that knife.
introduce myself
1/ˌɪntɹoʊdˈus maɪsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Tell someone your name and info
To tell someone your name and some basic information about you when you meet them for the first time.
Examples
- Let me introduce myself—I'm Sarah, your new neighbor.
- He stood up to introduce himself to the group.