themselves
gb/ðəmsˈɛlvz/ us/ðəmsˈɛlvz/
A2
Inglese
~ 500
Accezioni
0 accezioni
pronoun
A2
relation
1
Reflexive pronoun for 'they'
Used when 'they' do something to the same people or things that are the subject.
Schema d'uso:
[they] [verb] themselves
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'themselves' with 'each other'. 'They saw themselves' means they saw their own reflection, while 'They saw each other' means they saw one another.
Sinonimi
their own selves (A more emphatic or formal way to say 'themselves')
Contrari
others (Refers to people different from the subject, opposite of reflexive reference)
Collocazioni
by themselves
|for themselves
|to themselves
|among themselves
Temi
grammar
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Esempi
- They taught themselves how to play the guitar.
- The children dressed themselves without help.
- They blame themselves for the mistake.
- The team congratulated themselves after the win.
Esempi per chi studia
- They made dinner for themselves.
- The kids washed themselves.
- They looked at themselves in the mirror.
- They helped themselves to food.
pronoun
B1
relation
2
Emphatic pronoun for 'they'
Used to show it was really 'they' and not someone else who did something.
Schema d'uso:
[they] themselves [verb]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes place 'themselves' incorrectly in the sentence. For emphasis, it typically comes right after the subject or at the end of a clause.
Sinonimi
personally (Can be used similarly for emphasis, but is an adverb and not a pronoun)
Collocazioni
they themselves said
|they themselves admitted
|they themselves decided
Temi
grammar
|emphasis
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Esempi
- They themselves admitted it was a bad idea.
- The players themselves chose the coach.
- The witnesses themselves confirmed the story.
Esempi per chi studia
- They themselves started the project.
- The teachers themselves wrote the exam.
- The workers themselves fixed the problem.
pronoun
A2
state
3
Alone without help or company
Used when 'they' are alone or do something without help from anyone else.
Schema d'uso:
by themselves
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'by themselves' with 'themselves' as a simple reflexive; 'by' adds the meaning of being alone or independent.
Sinonimi
alone ('Alone' is an adjective/adverb; 'by themselves' is a phrase with similar meaning)
Contrari
together (Indicates being with others, opposite of alone)
Collocazioni
all by themselves
|live by themselves
Temi
independence
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Esempi
- They live by themselves in the countryside.
- The children went to school by themselves for the first time.
- They traveled by themselves across Europe.
Esempi per chi studia
- They went to the park by themselves.
- The boy fixed the bike by himself.
- They cooked by themselves.
Grammatica
Forma base
themselves
IPA
GB/ðəmsˈɛlvz/
US/ðəmsˈɛlvz/
Sillabe e accento
them - selves (2 sillabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (selves)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: themselves
- Plural: themselveses
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
be beside themselves (with emotion)
1/bˈi bɪsˈaɪd ðəmsˈɛlvz wˈɪθ ɪmˈoʊʃən/
idiom
Extremely upset or excited
To be very upset, angry, or excited.
Esempi
- They were beside themselves with joy at the news.
- The parents were beside themselves with worry.
by themselves
1/bˈaɪ ðəmsˈɛlvz/
fixed phrase
Alone without help or company
Without help from anyone else; alone.
Esempi
- They finished the project by themselves.
- The children went to school by themselves for the first time.
in and of themselves
1/ˈɪn ˈænd əv ðəmsˈɛlvz/
fixed phrase
formal
Considered alone, without outside factors
Looked at alone, without thinking about anything else.
Esempi
- These facts, in and of themselves, are not enough to prove guilt.
- In and of themselves, the changes seem small.
keep to themselves
1/kˈip tə ðəmsˈɛlvz/
fixed phrase
Avoid social interaction with others
To not talk or mix much with other people.
Esempi
- They tend to keep to themselves at parties.
- The new neighbors keep to themselves most of the time.