English uses eight reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These forms point back to the subject of the clause. They are different from ordinary object pronouns, so me, him, and them do not replace them. The full set appears in Reflexive Pronouns.

themselvesourselveshimselfitselfyourselfyourselvesmyselfherself

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Use this to mean the same person as IUse this to mean the same person as youUse this to mean the same people as theyUse this to mean the same people as youUse this to mean the same thing as itUse this to mean the same person as sheUse this to mean the same people as weUse this to mean the same person as he

Reflexive pronoun forms in everyday English

Word	Definition
myself	Use this to mean the same person as I.
yourself	Use this to mean the same person as you.
himself	Use this to mean the same person as he.
herself	Use this to mean the same person as she.
itself	Use this to mean the same thing as it.
ourselves	Use this to mean the same people as we.
yourselves	Use this to mean the same people as you.
themselves	Use this to mean the same people as they.

Scramble

A reflexive pronoun must match the subject in person and number. Use I with myself, you with yourself for one person, he with himself, she with herself, and it with itself. Use we with ourselves, you with yourselves for more than one person, and they with themselves. The pronoun always refers back to the same subject, never to a different person in the sentence.

How reflexive pronouns match the subject

Idea
Use myself when the subject is I.
Use yourself when the subject is you.
Use himself when the subject is he.
Use herself when the subject is she.
Use itself when the subject is it.
Use ourselves when the subject is we.
Use yourselves when the subject is you plural.
Use themselves when the subject is they.

The usual pattern is subject + verb + reflexive pronoun. In everyday English, the verb comes first in the clause and the reflexive pronoun follows it: I wash myself, She dressed herself, They blamed themselves. The verb is the main action, and the reflexive pronoun shows that the subject receives that action too. English verbs work in many patterns like this, as explained in Verbs.

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
You	wash
We	wash
I	wash
She	wash
They	wash
He	wash

Basic reflexive sentence pattern with wash

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
I	wash	wash myself
You	wash	wash yourself
He	wash	washes himself
She	wash	washes herself
We	wash	wash ourselves
They	wash	wash themselves

Scramble

Some verbs often appear with reflexive pronouns because the subject acts on the same person or thing. Common examples are wash myself, cut yourself, hurt himself, introduce ourselves, prepare themselves, protect itself, and teach yourself. Other common everyday verbs are enjoy, concentrate, relax, and behave when they are used with a reflexive pronoun in some varieties of English, as in He should behave himself and Try to relax yourself in a direct instruction. The verb chooses the reflexive pattern when the meaning stays centered on the subject.

behave oneselfconcentrate oneselfrelax oneselfenjoy oneselfexpress oneselfintroduce oneselfprepare oneselfhide oneselfpride oneselfteach oneself

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This means to become calm and less tenseThis means to show your thoughts or feelings clearlyThis means to get ready mentally or physicallyThis means to put yourself out of sightThis means to focus all attention on one thingThis means to feel proud because of a quality or skillThis means to learn without a teacherThis means to have a good time in a relaxed wayThis means to act in a proper wayThis means to tell someone your name

Common verbs often used reflexively

Word	Definition
enjoy oneself	This means to have a good time in a relaxed way.
behave oneself	This means to act in a proper way.
concentrate oneself	This means to focus all attention on one thing.
relax oneself	This means to become calm and less tense.
pride oneself	This means to feel proud because of a quality or skill.
prepare oneself	This means to get ready mentally or physically.
introduce oneself	This means to tell someone your name.
hide oneself	This means to put yourself out of sight.
teach oneself	This means to learn without a teacher.
express oneself	This means to show your thoughts or feelings clearly.

Scramble

A reflexive pronoun can show a true reflexive meaning or an emphatic meaning. In a true reflexive sentence, the subject does the action to the same person or thing: She looked at herself in the mirror. In an emphatic sentence, the reflexive pronoun adds force and means alone or without help: I did it myself, The manager himself answered the phone, We cooked the meal ourselves. In emphatic use, the sentence still works without the reflexive pronoun, but the pronoun gives extra focus to the subject.

Reflexive forms for action and emphasis

Idea
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object are the same person.
Use a reflexive pronoun to show that someone did something without help.
Use a reflexive pronoun for strong emphasis on who did the action.
Place the reflexive pronoun right after the verb or after the object it relates to.
Do not use a reflexive pronoun when the action clearly affects another person or thing.

Some verbs commonly appear in fixed patterns with reflexive pronouns. Help yourself is a standard expression when offering food or permission. Teach yourself often means learning without a teacher, as in She taught herself Spanish. Some verbs take reflexive forms after prepositions in set patterns, such as by myself, for yourself, and to themselves. Reflexive pronouns also stay the same in -ing and past participle structures: washing herself, having taught himself, the children, feeling proud of themselves. The reflexive form does not change because the clause is in a different verb form; it still matches the subject.

Special reflexive patterns with verbs and forms

Usage	Explanation
Help with object meaning	Use help yourself when you invite someone to take food, drink, or something available.
Learn without a teacher	Use teach yourself when someone learns a skill alone.
After certain prepositions	Use a reflexive pronoun after a preposition when English expects that fixed pattern.
After verbs in ing forms	Use a reflexive pronoun after an ing form when the subject acts on the same person.
After past participle forms	Use a reflexive pronoun after a past participle when the sentence keeps the same person as both actor and receiver.
Emphatic extra focus	Use a reflexive pronoun to add special focus to the person named by the subject.