Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns show that the subject does something to itself. Mandarin expresses this with zìjǐ 自己 and sometimes an explicit agent.
Mandarin Reflexives
Mandarin uses zìjǐ 自己 to repeat or emphasize the agent. The sentence pattern is noun/pronoun + zìjǐ 自己.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 我自己 | wǒ zìjǐ | I myself / myself |
| 你自己 | nǐ zìjǐ | you yourself / yourself |
| 他自己 | tā zìjǐ | he himself / himself |
| 她自己 | tā zìjǐ | she herself / herself |
| 它自己 | tā zìjǐ | it itself / itself |
| 我们自己 | wǒmen zìjǐ | we ourselves / ourselves |
| 你们自己 | nǐmen zìjǐ | you (pl) yourselves / yourselves |
| 他们自己 | tāmen zìjǐ | they themselves / themselves |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧑🎨 我自己画了这幅画。 | Wǒ zìjǐ huàle zhè fú huà. | I painted this painting myself. | Emphatic self-doer |
| 👩🎨 她自己选的颜色。 | Tā zìjǐ xuǎn de yánsè. | She chose the colors herself. | Agent emphasis |
| 🧑🎨 他画画时保护了自己。 | Tā huàhuà shí bǎohùle zìjǐ. | He protected himself while painting. | True reflexive |
| 👩🎨 画家们自己整理画布。 | Huàjiāmen zìjǐ zhěnglǐ huàbù. | The painters arranged the canvases themselves. | Plural reflexive |
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Using zìjǐ 自己
zìjǐ 自己 can attach to a noun, pronoun, or even a relative clause to show the action returns to the agent. It can appear as the object or as a modifier.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🖼️ 画布上有我自己的签名。 | Huàbù shàng yǒu wǒ zìjǐ de qiānmíng. | There is my own signature on the canvas. | Possessive self |
| 🎨 他给自己调了一盘颜色。 | Tā gěi zìjǐ tiáo le yì pán yánsè. | He mixed a palette of colors for himself. | Indirect object |
| 🧴 我自己带了颜料和画笔。 | Wǒ zìjǐ dài le yánliào hé huàbǐ. | I brought the paint and brushes myself. | Emphatic doer |
| 🧹 他们自己清理了工作室。 | Tāmen zìjǐ qīnglǐ le gōngzuòshì. | They cleaned the studio themselves. | Plural emphasis |
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Mandarin Non-Reflexive
When the action is not reflexive, do not use zìjǐ 自己, or use it to clarify the agent if needed. Omitting zìjǐ 自己 makes the sentence simpler.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎨 我帮朋友调颜色。 | Wǒ bāng péngyǒu tiáo yánsè. | I helped a friend mix colors. | Non-reflexive |
| 🧑🎨 她教学生画透视。 | Tā jiāo xuéshēng huà tòushì. | She taught the students to draw perspective. | Other as object |
| 📦 他请人搬画架。 | Tā qǐng rén bān huàjià. | He hired someone to move the easel. | External agent |
| 🖌️ 画家们互相评价作品。 | Huàjiāmen hùxiāng píngjià zuòpǐn. | The painters critiqued each other's work. | Reciprocal action |
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Summary
Use zìjǐ 自己 to express reflexivity or emphasis on the agent. Repeat the subject with zìjǐ 自己 when the action returns to the same person or when you want to highlight that.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025