What Are Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns are special words that refer back to the subject of the sentence. They end in -self (for singular) or -selves (for plural), and they are used when the person or thing doing the action is also the person or thing receiving the action. In other words, the subject and the object are the same.

The eight reflexive pronouns in English are: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. Each one corresponds to a specific subject pronoun, and choosing the correct reflexive pronoun is essential for clear and grammatically accurate communication.

Reflexive pronouns are not optional decorations in a sentence. They serve a critical function: they tell us that the action is directed back at the doer. For example, "She taught herself French" means that she was both the teacher and the student. Without the reflexive pronoun, the meaning would be incomplete or entirely different.

💡 The Core Concept

Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or thing. If someone does something to themselves, a reflexive pronoun is required.

When Do We Use Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns appear in several different contexts, each with its own grammatical purpose. Understanding these situations will help you recognize when a reflexive pronoun is required and when it is not.

Usage Example 1 Example 2
When subject = object
The person does something to themselves		 She hurt herself while climbing the mountain. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.
For emphasis (intensive use)
To stress who did the action		 I made this cake myself! Nobody helped me. The director himself attended the premiere.
"By + reflexive" = alone/without help
Doing something independently		 She completed the entire project by herself. Did you travel to Berlin by yourself?
After certain verbs
Verbs that require reflexive pronouns		 Enjoy yourself at the party tonight! The children behaved themselves at the restaurant.
After prepositions
When the preposition refers back to the subject		 She was very proud of herself after winning the award. He kept the secret to himself for many years.
Idiomatic expressions
Fixed phrases with reflexive pronouns		 Please make yourself at home. You are always welcome here. She keeps to herself and does not talk to many people.
💡 The Key Question

Ask yourself: "Is the person doing the action also receiving it?" If the answer is yes, use a reflexive pronoun. If the action is directed at someone or something else, use a regular object pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).

The Complete List of Reflexive Pronouns

Every subject pronoun in English has a corresponding reflexive pronoun. The pattern is consistent and logical: you simply combine the subject pronoun or possessive form with -self or -selves.

📐 Subject Pronoun → Reflexive Pronoun

Learn this mapping by heart. There are no exceptions to these forms in standard English.

Subject Pronoun Reflexive Pronoun Example
I myself I taught myself to play the guitar.
You (singular) yourself Did you hurt yourself when you fell?
He himself He blamed himself for the mistake.
She herself She introduced herself to the new neighbours.
It itself The cat cleaned itself after eating.
We ourselves We enjoyed ourselves at the concert last night.
You (plural) yourselves Please help yourselves to tea and biscuits.
They themselves They organized the event themselves.

Special Note: The form oneself is used in general or formal statements where no specific person is mentioned. For example: "One must always conduct oneself with dignity."

⚠️ Common Spelling Errors

The forms hisself and theirselves do not exist in standard English. These are incorrect forms that are sometimes heard in non-standard dialects, but they should never be used in writing or formal speech.
✘ He did it hisself.
✔ He did it himself.
✘ They finished it theirselves.
✔ They finished it themselves.

Reflexive vs Object Pronouns

One of the most common mistakes learners make is confusing reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, herself) with object pronouns (me, him, her). The distinction is simple but crucial: reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are the same person, and object pronouns are used when the subject and object are different people.

Reflexive Pronoun (same person) Object Pronoun (different person)
She looked at herself in the mirror.
(She looked at her own reflection.)		 She looked at him.
(She looked at another person.)
I bought myself a new watch.
(I bought it for me.)		 I bought her a new watch.
(I bought it for someone else.)
He talks to himself when he is alone.
(He speaks to himself.)		 He talks to me every day.
(He speaks to another person.)
They prepared themselves for the exam.
(They prepared their own minds and materials.)		 They prepared us for the exam.
(They helped us prepare.)
⚠️ Do NOT Use Reflexive Pronouns as Subjects

Reflexive pronouns can never be the subject of a sentence. This is a very common error, especially in informal speech.
✘ Myself and John went to the cinema.
✔ John and I went to the cinema.
✘ Herself will call you tomorrow.
✔ She will call you tomorrow.

⚠️ Do NOT Use Reflexive After Prepositions of Place

When a preposition describes location or position, we do not use reflexive pronouns even if the subject and object refer to the same person.
✘ She put the bag beside herself.
✔ She put the bag beside her.
✘ He sat behind himself.
✔ He sat behind me / him / them. (The sentence needs a different object.)

Emphatic (Intensive) Use

Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis rather than as the direct object of a verb. In this case, they are called intensive pronouns or emphatic pronouns. They emphasize that the subject personally did the action, often to show surprise, pride, or contrast.

When used emphatically, the reflexive pronoun can appear immediately after the subject or at the end of the sentence. The meaning is the same, but the position can change the rhythm and emphasis of the sentence.

Position Example 1 Example 2
After the subject The president himself opened the ceremony. I myself have never been to Australia.
At the end of the sentence I painted the entire house myself. Did you really fix the car yourself?
For contrast She herself admitted that she was wrong. The manager himself apologized to the customers.
💡 Test for Emphatic Use

Emphatic reflexive pronouns can be removed from the sentence without changing the basic grammar or meaning. For example: "I myself have never been to Australia" can become "I have never been to Australia." The sentence is still grammatically correct, but the emphasis is lost.

Verbs That Do and Do Not Take Reflexive Pronouns

Some verbs in English require reflexive pronouns when the action is directed at the subject. However, many verbs that take reflexive pronouns in other languages (such as Turkish, Spanish, or French) do not take them in English. This is one of the most challenging aspects for learners whose first language uses reflexive verbs differently.

Verbs that require reflexive pronouns:

Verb Example
enjoy oneself We really enjoyed ourselves at the festival.
behave oneself The children behaved themselves perfectly.
help oneself (to food) Please help yourself to some cake.
introduce oneself He introduced himself to the new colleagues.
pride oneself on She prides herself on her punctuality.

Verbs that do NOT take reflexive pronouns in English:

Verb Correct Usage Incorrect Usage
wash I washed and got dressed. ✘ I washed myself.
dress She dressed quickly and left the house. ✘ She dressed herself.
shave He shaves every morning. ✘ He shaves himself.
feel I feel tired today. ✘ I feel myself tired.
relax We relaxed by the pool all afternoon. ✘ We relaxed ourselves.
concentrate I need to concentrate on my work. ✘ I need to concentrate myself.
meet We met at the station at noon. ✘ We met ourselves.
complain He complains about everything. ✘ He complains himself.
⚠️ Common Error for Turkish Speakers

Turkish uses reflexive forms for many everyday actions (yıkanmak, giyinmek, etc.), but English does not. Do not translate reflexive verbs directly from Turkish to English. In English, we say "I washed" (NOT "I washed myself") and "She dressed" (NOT "She dressed herself") for routine personal actions.

💡 When Reflexive IS Used for These Verbs

Reflexive pronouns can be used with wash, dress, and shave when we want to emphasize independence or ability (often with children, elderly people, or people recovering from illness). For example: "The baby can dress himself now!" or "After the injury, he could not wash himself for two weeks." In these cases, the reflexive pronoun is used for emphasis, not as a standard requirement.

❖

To know yourself is the beginning of wisdom. To speak of yourself correctly is the beginning of fluency. Master the reflexive, and watch your English reflect the truth.

— The Grammar Gazette
❖

Example Sentences

✔ Reflexive as Object
She blamed herself for the accident even though it was not her fault.
I taught myself Italian by watching films and reading books.
He cut himself while preparing dinner last night.
The children amused themselves by building a fort in the garden.
We found ourselves in a difficult situation after missing the last train to London.
She looked at herself in the shop window and adjusted her coat.
⚡ Emphatic / Intensive Use
The mayor herself came to the opening of the new library.
I myself have never understood why people enjoy horror films.
Did you really bake this bread yourself? It tastes incredible!
The author himself read extracts from his latest novel at the bookshop in Edinburgh.
We built the entire website ourselves without hiring a designer.
The professor herself admitted that the question was extremely difficult.
💬 By + Reflexive & Idioms
She travelled across South America by herself for three months.
Did he complete the entire project by himself, or did someone help him?
Please make yourself at home. There is tea in the kitchen.
He keeps to himself and rarely speaks to his neighbours.
The children were very proud of themselves after winning the science competition in Paris.
You should not be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes.

Reciprocal Pronouns: Each Other vs Reflexive

Reflexive pronouns are sometimes confused with reciprocal pronouns (each other and one another). While they may seem similar, they express completely different meanings. Reflexive pronouns indicate that each person is doing something to themselves, while reciprocal pronouns indicate that people are doing something to one another.

Structure Meaning Example
They looked at each other. Person A looked at person B, and person B looked at person A. The two strangers looked at each other nervously in the lift.
They looked at themselves. Each person looked at their own reflection (in a mirror). They looked at themselves in the mirror before leaving the house.
We gave each other gifts. I gave you a gift, and you gave me a gift. We gave each other Christmas presents.
We gave ourselves time. We each gave ourselves time (individually). We gave ourselves a week to finish the project.
They helped each other. Person A helped person B, and person B helped person A. The students helped each other with the difficult homework.
They helped themselves. Each person helped themselves (took food, solved their own problem, etc.). The guests helped themselves to drinks from the table.
💡 Exam Relevance

The difference between each other and reflexive pronouns is a common test question in grammar exams. Remember: each other = mutual action between people. Themselves / ourselves / yourselves = each person acting on themselves individually.

Common Mistakes

Even advanced learners make mistakes with reflexive pronouns. Here are the six most frequent errors and how to correct them.

⚠️ Mistake 1: Using Reflexive Pronouns as Subjects

Reflexive pronouns cannot be the subject of a sentence.
✘ Myself and Sarah went to the museum.
✔ Sarah and I went to the museum.
✘ Himself will call you later.
✔ He will call you later.

⚠️ Mistake 2: Overusing Reflexive Pronouns with Everyday Verbs

Do not use reflexive pronouns with wash, dress, shave, feel, relax, etc. in standard English.
✘ I washed myself and got dressed.
✔ I washed and got dressed.
✘ She felt herself tired.
✔ She felt tired.

⚠️ Mistake 3: Wrong Reflexive Form

The forms "hisself" and "theirselves" do not exist in standard English.
✘ He did it hisself.
✔ He did it himself.
✘ They finished the work theirselves.
✔ They finished the work themselves.

⚠️ Mistake 4: Confusing Reflexive with Reciprocal (Each Other)

Reflexive = each person acts on themselves. Reciprocal = people act on one another.
✘ They looked at themselves nervously. (if they looked at one another)
✔ They looked at each other nervously.
✘ The two friends helped each other. (if each person helped themselves)
✔ The two friends helped themselves to food.

⚠️ Mistake 5: Using Reflexive After Prepositions of Place

After prepositions describing location, use object pronouns, not reflexive pronouns.
✘ She put the bag beside herself.
✔ She put the bag beside her.
✘ He stood behind himself in the photo. (illogical)
✔ He stood behind me in the photo.

⚠️ Mistake 6: Forgetting Reflexive When Needed

Some verbs require reflexive pronouns. Do not forget them.
✘ Enjoy at the party!
✔ Enjoy yourself at the party!
✘ The children did not behave.
✔ The children did not behave themselves.

✔ Corrected Sentences
✘ Myself went to the bank. → ✔ I went to the bank.
✘ She washed herself and left. → ✔ She washed and left.
✘ He fixed the computer hisself. → ✔ He fixed the computer himself.
✘ They looked at themselves across the table. (mutual gaze) → ✔ They looked at each other across the table.
✘ I sat beside myself on the bench. (illogical) → ✔ I sat beside him on the bench.
✘ Please help to the food. → ✔ Please help yourself to the food.

Quick Reference Summary

Use this table as a quick reference guide whenever you need to check the correct reflexive pronoun or verify usage rules.

Subject Reflexive Example (Reflexive) Example (Emphatic)
I myself I hurt myself. I myself saw it happen.
You (singular) yourself Did you enjoy yourself? You yourself said it was true.
He himself He taught himself Spanish. He himself admitted the error.
She herself She introduced herself. The CEO herself attended.
It itself The door closed itself. The building itself is historic.
We ourselves We enjoyed ourselves. We ourselves built this house.
You (plural) yourselves Help yourselves to tea. You yourselves must decide.
They themselves They blamed themselves. The actors themselves were surprised.
💡 The Golden Rule

If the subject and object are the same person, use a reflexive pronoun. If they are different people, use an object pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them). Always match the reflexive pronoun to the subject of the sentence.

⚠️ Final Reminder

Reflexive pronouns are not optional. When they are required, you must use them. When they are not required (as with wash, dress, feel, etc.), do not use them. Overusing or underusing reflexive pronouns will make your English sound unnatural or incorrect. Pay close attention to context and verb choice, and your reflexive pronoun usage will become accurate and instinctive.

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