themselves
/ðəmˈselvz/ (bre, ipa) · [ðɛmsˈɛlvz] /ðəmˈselvz/ (ame, ipa)
themselves — pronoun
1. used when the group that carries out an action is the very same group that the a
used when the group that carries out an action is the very same group that the action happens to — the subject and the object of the verb point to the same people or animals
The children taught themselves how to tie their shoelaces.
[subject] children + taught + themselves (reflexive verb)
Sofie and Hoa asked themselves whether the plan would actually work.
The cats cleaned themselves after knocking over a bowl of milk.
The club members found themselves in a difficult position after the vote.
Some birds protect themselves by building nests high in the trees.
- each other
for mutual actions (They helped themselves → each helped themselves; They helped each other → they helped one another)
文法句型
[plural subject] + verb + themselves
用法筆記
Always refers back to the subject of the same clause. If the subject is singular (a person, someone), 'themselves' is sometimes used informally instead of 'himself or herself' to avoid specifying gender.
常見錯誤
2. placed after the subject to stress that the people mentioned, and nobody else, p
placed after the subject to stress that the people mentioned, and nobody else, performed the action or are responsible for it
The artists themselves designed the posters for the community fair.
[subject] themselves [verb] — emphasis on who did it
Takeshi and Yara themselves baked all the cakes for the charity sale.
The volunteers themselves painted every wall of the new community hall.
Sahil and Henry themselves decided to cancel the trip when the storm came.
The children themselves chose the name for their new pet rabbit.
文法句型
[subject] + themselves + [verb]
用法筆記
In this sense 'themselves' comes directly after the subject noun phrase and is not the object of the verb. Removing 'themselves' still leaves a grammatical sentence — it only changes the emphasis, not the basic meaning.
常見錯誤
3. without company from others, or without receiving help from anybody else
without company from others, or without receiving help from anybody else
The children walked to school by themselves for the first time yesterday.
by themselves = without adult company
Ramón and Soraya built the bookshelf entirely by themselves.
by themselves = without help
The two brothers finished their homework by themselves before dinner.
Grandma and Grandpa still live by themselves in the old farmhouse.
After a week of training the team ran the event by themselves.
- on their own
more common in everyday speech, can also mean 'without help'
- alone
only implies no company, not 'without help'
- independently
more formal; emphasizes freedom from outside control rather than solitude
- together
with others rather than alone
文法句型
by themselves
by themselves + verb phrase
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'by themselves', which can mean either 'without company' or 'without help'. Context tells you which: 'walked by themselves' suggests no adult company; 'built by themselves' suggests no help.
常見錯誤
4. saved for a specific group's own use, with nobody else allowed to have or access
saved for a specific group's own use, with nobody else allowed to have or access it
The children had the whole playground to themselves on Sunday morning.
have [something] to themselves = exclusive access
The research team kept the early findings to themselves until the report was ready.
Eitan and Theo had the entire beach to themselves during the winter holiday.
The conference room was reserved for the board members themselves only.
The wedding guests had a private garden all to themselves after the ceremony.
- for their own use
more literal, less idiomatic than 'to themselves'
- exclusively for them
formal register
- shared
used by more than one group
文法句型
[have/keep/get] + [noun] + to themselves
keep [noun] to themselves
用法筆記
Typically appears in the patterns 'have/get/keep something to themselves' or 'reserved for themselves'. Unlike sense 3 (by themselves), this sense does NOT mean being alone — a group can have a space 'to themselves' while all being together in it.
5. used to confirm that the group mentioned is exactly the one being referred to, s
used to confirm that the group mentioned is exactly the one being referred to, stressing their identity rather than their action
The experts themselves were not sure whether the bridge design was safe.
themselves after noun in formal identity emphasis
The refugees themselves were the main witnesses to what had happened in the village.
copular 'were' + complement — identity emphasis, not action
The students themselves became the main force behind the recycling project.
The citizens themselves were the people most affected by the sudden change in policy.
The victims themselves best understood the full scale of the disaster.
文法句型
[subject] + themselves + [be/complement]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (emphatic): sense 2 stresses who DID something (They painted it themselves); sense 5 stresses who or WHAT something IS (They themselves were the victims). Sense 5 often appears in formal or journalistic writing with abstract nouns (the authorities, the committee, the victims). It can also appear before 'be' or stative verbs rather than action verbs.