pron · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Australian, New-Zealand:/ðemˈselvz/
Australian, New-Zealand:[ðemˈseɫvz]
Australian, New-Zealand:/ðəmˈselvz/
Australian, New-Zealand:[ðəmˈseɫvz]
rhymes with -ɛlvz
CMU ARPABET:DH EH0 M S EH1 L V Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:DH AH0 M S EH1 L V Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
pron
Meaning 1
The reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun. The group of people, animals, or objects previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: pronoun, reflexive, third-person
Examples
They’ve hurt themselves.
They fought among themselves.
They are going to try climbing Mount Everest themselves.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
pron
Meaning 2
The reflexive case of they, the third-person singular personal pronoun. The single person previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: pronoun, reflexive, third-person
Examples
Would whoever stole my phone please make themselves known.
I don't want anyone to fight among themselves.
Everyone must do it themselves.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Morphologically them + -selves.
Across languages
Translations
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
сябе́
(sjabjé)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Belarusian:
сабе́
(sabjé)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Belarusian:
сабо́й
(sabój)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Belarusian:
-цца
(-cca)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Bulgarian:
се́бе си
(sébe si)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Catalan:
es
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Chinese Mandarin:
他們自己 /他们自己
(tāmen zìjǐ)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Esperanto:
sin
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Finnish:
itsensä
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Finnish:
itseään
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Finnish:
keskenään
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Finnish:
itse
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
French:
se
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
German:
sich
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Hungarian:
maguk
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Hungarian:
magukat
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Japanese:
彼ら自身
(karera-jishin)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Khakas:
постары
(postarı)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Latin:
ipsi
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Navajo:
tʼáá hó
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Norwegian:
seg
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Portuguese:
se
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Portuguese:
si
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Romani:
pen
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Kalo Finnish Romani:
peen
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Russian:
себя́
(sebjá)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Northern Sami:
iežaska du
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Northern Sami:
iežaset
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Lower Sorbian:
se
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Spanish:
se
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Tuvan:
боттары
(bottarı)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Ukrainian:
себе́
(sebé)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Welsh:
eu hun
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Welsh:
eu hunan
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Yakut:
бэйэлэрэ
(beyelere)
— the reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun
Belarusian:
яны́ са́мі
(janý sámi)
— emphatic: they
Bulgarian:
самите
(samite)
— emphatic: they
Czech:
sami
— emphatic: they
Czech:
samy
— emphatic: they
Czech:
samy
— emphatic: they
Czech:
sama
— emphatic: they
French:
eux-mêmes
— emphatic: they
French:
elles-mêmes
— emphatic: they
Latvian:
viņi paši
— emphatic: they
Latvian:
viņas pašas
— emphatic: they
Polish:
sami
— emphatic: they
Polish:
same
— emphatic: they
Portuguese:
eles mesmos
— emphatic: they
Portuguese:
elas mesmas
— emphatic: they
Russian:
они́ са́ми
(oní sámi)
— emphatic: they
Northern Sami:
ieža
— emphatic: they
Slovak:
oni sami
— emphatic: they
Slovak:
ony same
— emphatic: they
Spanish:
ellos mismos
— emphatic: they
Spanish:
ellas mismas
— emphatic: they
Ukrainian:
вони́ сами́
(voný samý)
— emphatic: they
Ukrainian:
вони́ самі́
(voný samí)
— emphatic: they
Catalan:
mateixos
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Chinese Mandarin:
他們自己 /他们自己
(tāmen zìjǐ)
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Finnish:
itsensä
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Finnish:
itseään
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Finnish:
itselleen
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Finnish:
itse
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Hungarian:
önmaguk
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Hungarian:
önmagukat
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Japanese:
彼ら自身
(karera-jishin)
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Latin:
ipsos
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Latin:
ipsas
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Latin:
ipsa
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Russian:
себя́
(sebjá)
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
Volapük:
okis
— the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition
