themselves

/ðəmˈselvz/ (bre, ipa) · [ðɛmsˈɛlvz] /ðəmˈselvz/ (ame, ipa)

themselves — 代名詞

1. used when the group that carries out an action is the very same group that the a

1.代名詞A2
釋義

他們自己

受詞與主詞為同一群人

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

例句

The children taught themselves how to tie their shoelaces.

孩子們自己學會了怎麼繫鞋帶。

[subject] children + taught + themselves (reflexive verb)

Sofie and Hoa asked themselves whether the plan would actually work.

Sofie 和 Hoa 問自己這個計畫是否真的可行。

反義詞
  • 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

❌They taught them how to cook.' (meaning themselves)
✅They taught themselves how to cook.
💡'them' refers to a different group; use 'themselves' when the action returns to the subject.
❌The children hurt theirselves.
✅The children hurt themselves.
💡'theirselves' is non-standard; the correct form is 'themselves'.

2. placed after the subject to stress that the people mentioned, and nobody else, p

2.代名詞A2
釋義

親自

強調主詞本人而非他人

placed after the subject to stress that the people mentioned, and nobody else, performed the action or are responsible for it

例句

The artists themselves designed the posters for the community fair.

藝術家們親自設計了社區園遊會的海報。

[subject] themselves [verb] — emphasis on who did it

Takeshi and Yara themselves baked all the cakes for the charity sale.

Takeshi 和 Yara 親自烤了慈善義賣的所有蛋糕。

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

❌They built the house themself.
✅They built the house themselves.
💡when the subject is plural, the reflexive pronoun must be plural too.

3. without company from others, or without receiving help from anybody else

3.代名詞A2
釋義

獨自

無人陪伴或無人幫助

without company from others, or without receiving help from anybody else

例句

The children walked to school by themselves for the first time yesterday.

孩子們昨天第一次自己走路去上學。

by themselves = without adult company

Ramón and Soraya built the bookshelf entirely by themselves.

Ramón 和 Soraya 完全是靠自己搭起了那個書架。

by themselves = without help

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

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

❌They finished the project by theirself.
✅They finished the project by themselves.
💡even when referring to one person using singular 'they', standard English still uses 'themselves' rather than 'theirself'.
❌They went to the cinema by themselves.' (when meaning they went together, not alone)
✅They went to the cinema by themselves.' is fine if each person went alone, but if they went together as a group, use 'on their own' or simply 'They went to the cinema.

4. saved for a specific group's own use, with nobody else allowed to have or access

4.代名詞B1
釋義

專用

僅供他們使用而不與他人共享

saved for a specific group's own use, with nobody else allowed to have or access it

例句

The children had the whole playground to themselves on Sunday morning.

孩子們星期天早上獨享了整座遊樂場。

have [something] to themselves = exclusive access

The research team kept the early findings to themselves until the report was ready.

研究團隊在報告準備好之前，對早期的發現秘而不宣。

同義詞
反義詞
  • 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

5.代名詞B2
釋義

本身

正式用法強調該群體即為所指對象

used to confirm that the group mentioned is exactly the one being referred to, stressing their identity rather than their action

例句

The experts themselves were not sure whether the bridge design was safe.

專家們本身也不確定這座橋樑的設計是否安全。

themselves after noun in formal identity emphasis

The refugees themselves were the main witnesses to what had happened in the village.

難民們本身就是村裡事件的主要目擊者。

copular 'were' + complement — identity emphasis, not action

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.