Myself in different languages

Myself in Different Languages

Discover 'Myself' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'myself' is a reflexive pronoun that is used to refer to the speaker or writer as the object of an action or state of being. It is a fundamental word in many languages, as it allows us to express our thoughts and experiences in a personal and introspective way. Understanding the translation of 'myself' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural understanding.

Throughout history, the concept of the self has been explored and debated by philosophers, psychologists, and linguists. In many cultures, the idea of the self is closely tied to notions of identity, autonomy, and self-awareness. By learning how to express 'myself' in different languages, we can gain insights into these cultural perspectives and deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human experience.

For example, in Spanish, 'myself' is translated as 'mí mismo' or 'mí misma', depending on the gender of the speaker. In French, it is 'moi-même', and in German, it is 'mich selbst'. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences, but also cultural nuances and values.

In this article, we will explore the translations of 'myself' in a variety of languages, from English to Mandarin, and from Arabic to Zulu. Join us on this journey of language and culture, and discover the fascinating world of 'myself' in different languages!

Myself


Myself in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansmyself
The Afrikaans word "myself" can also mean "self" or "ego".
Amharicእኔ ራሴ
The word "እኔ ራሴ" can also refer to the individual's own person or identity.
Hausakaina
The Hausa word "kaina" also means "by myself or on my own account".
Igbomu onwem
The Igbo word “mu onwem” can also be used to refer to one’s possessions or property.
Malagasyahy
The Malagasy word "Ahy" can also mean "my own" or "my property".
Nyanja (Chichewa)ndekha
In Nyanja (Chichewa), "ndekha" is the personal pronoun for "myself," with alternative meanings including "by myself" and "own accord."
Shonaini pachangu
The word "ini pachangu" in Shona also means "my presence" and "my person."
Somalinaftayda
The word "naftayda" can also refer to one's own soul, or to one's own life.
Sesothoka bonna
The word "ka bonna" is a combination of the possessive pronoun "ka" and the demonstrative pronoun "bonna", meaning "myself" or "my own".
Swahilimimi mwenyewe
The term "Mimi mwenyewe" in Swahili directly translates to "I myself" or "my own self" and is used to emphasize the speaker's own involvement or individuality in a situation.
Xhosangokwam
"Ngam" is the root of the word "ngokwam", meaning "my", and "kwam" means "at my place".
Yorubafunrami
The Yoruba word 'funrami' directly translates to 'myself,' however it also holds alternative meanings such as 'to do it for myself' and 'for my own good'.
Zulunami
The Zulu word "nami" can also mean "my body" or "my person."
Bambarane yɛrɛ
Ewenye ŋutɔ
Kinyarwandanjye ubwanjye
Lingalanga moko
Lugandanze
Sepedinna
Twi (Akan)me ho

Myself in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicنفسي
The Arabic word "نفسي" (nafsi) has roots in the Proto-Semitic *nafs- ('breath, soul, self'), also the root of the Hebrew word "נפש" (nephesh).
Hebrewעצמי
The Hebrew word "עצמי" can also be used to refer to one's essence or inner self.
Pashtoزما
زما is a Pashto possessive adjective meaning "my" or "mine."
Arabicنفسي
The Arabic word "نفسي" (nafsi) has roots in the Proto-Semitic *nafs- ('breath, soul, self'), also the root of the Hebrew word "נפש" (nephesh).

Myself in Western European Languages

Albanianveten time
The term "veten time" may also refer specifically, in the Ghegh dialect spoken in the north, to one's own wife.
Basqueneure burua
"Neure burua" (literally "my head") is the term used as a personal pronoun for "myself" in Basque.
Catalanjo mateix
The Catalan word “jo mateix” can be literally translated as “I myself” and also refers to the concept of “me on my own”.
Croatiansebe
Sebe (meaning 'myself') is sometimes used as a reflexive pronoun, but it can also be used in the sense of 'oneself'.
Danishmig selv
Mig selv is a reflexive pronoun, but it can also mean "self" in the sense of "one's true self".
Dutchmezelf
In Dutch, "mezelf" can also mean "myself alone" or "my very self."
Englishmyself
The word "myself" has been used in English since the 13th century and derives from the Old English words "me" and "self".
Frenchmoi même
In French, "moi-même" not only means "myself," but also "myself again," or "in person."
Frisianmysels
In Frisian, "mysels" derives from Middle Dutch and Old Frisian, ultimately from Old English "me self", meaning "my own self".
Galicianeu mesmo
"Eu mesmo" in Galician is a direct reflex from Latin "ipsemet", which also meant "very" or "especially".
Germanmich selber
"Mich selber" is a reflexive pronoun that has the same root as the word "selbst" (self).
Icelandicsjálfan mig
The Icelandic word "sjálfan mig" has a similar etymology to the German word "selbst," both having connotations of "one's own self."
Irishmé féin
While the second person singular pronoun is 'tú', the possessive adjective is 'do', and the reflexive pronoun is 'tú féin', the first person singular pronoun is 'mé', its possessive adjective is 'mo', and its reflexive/intensive pronoun is 'mé féin'.
Italianme stessa
In Ancient Greek, "me stessa" was "emeaute,
Luxembourgishech selwer
The word "ech selwer" ("myself" in Luxembourgish) is etymologically related to the archaic French phrase "ec soi meismes" meaning "I myself".
Maltesejien stess
The word "jien stess" in Maltese can also mean "my own" or "in person".
Norwegianmeg selv
Meg selv is a compound word meaning 'with (med) myself (selv)'
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)eu mesmo
The term "Eu mesmo" in Portuguese has a dual meaning: it can either refer to oneself or to the "self" in a philosophical sense, emphasizing the subjective and individual nature of experience.
Scots Gaelicmi-fhìn
Scots Gaelic "mi-fhìn" not only means "myself", but may also be used to indicate "myself alone" or "I myself".
Spanishyo mismo
The Spanish word "yo mismo" can also be used to refer to the self as the center of attention or to emphasize a person's own importance.
Swedishjag själv
The word "jag själv" is a compound of "jag" (I) and "själv" (self), and can also mean "my own self" or "my very self".
Welshfy hun
The word "fy hun" in Welsh means both "myself" and "my soul".

Myself in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianсябе
The word
Bosniansebe
In Bosnian, 'sebe' is also used as a possessive pronoun meaning 'one's own'.
Bulgarianсебе си
The phrase "на себе си" also means "to do something to oneself".
Czechmoje maličkost
The phrase literally means "my smallness" or "my small thing".
Estonianmina ise
"Mina ise" means "myself" in Estonian, but "mina" can also mean "I" and "ise" can mean "self".
Finnishitse
Itse is possibly derived from the old personal pronoun *itse- and it was first used in writing by Agricola in the early 16th century
Hungarianmagamat
Magamat's archaic use is in the meaning of "my place" as in "a house for magamat".
Latvianes pats
"Es pats" comes from the reflexive pronoun "es" and the substantive "pats," meaning "self," "one's own" or "one's person."
Lithuanianaš pats
The word "aš pats" is cognate with the Latin "ipse" and is also used as an intensifier in Lithuanian, similar to the English "indeed".
Macedonianјас самиот
The word "јас самиот" can also be used to emphasize the speaker's own personal feelings or experiences.
Polishsiebie
"Siebie", meaning "myself", comes from an earlier form "sobie", which is also the origin of "sobie" meaning "for oneself".
Romanianeu insumi
The Romanian word "eu insumi" has Latin roots, tracing back to the phrase "ego ipse mihi," meaning "I myself."
Russianсебя
The word "себя" also has an archaic meaning of "one's own" or "one's family".
Serbianсебе
The word "себе" can also mean "own" or "self" in the sense of "personal property" or "individual identity"
Slovakseba
The word "seba" (myself) in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic *sebe, which also means "for oneself".
Sloveniansebe
The word "sebe" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "sę" meaning "self".
Ukrainianсебе
"Себе" also means "to oneself" and "to its home base" in Ukrainian.

Myself in South Asian Languages

Bengaliআমার
The word "আমার" is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्मन" (atman), meaning "self" or "soul."
Gujaratiમારી જાતને
"મારી જાતને" (myself) was borrowed from Persian "man khud," meaning "to my own self," "of my own self."
Hindiखुद
Hindi "खुद" means not only "myself" but also "self" or "essence."
Kannadaನಾನೇ
ನಾನೇ is also used to refer to the God and has a sense of "by oneself" in some cases.
Malayalamഞാൻ തന്നെ
In Malayalam, 'ഞാൻ തന്നെ' ('myself') can also mean 'one and the same' and 'with own hands'.
Marathiमी
The word "मी" in Marathi can also mean "mine" when used as an adjective and "me" when used as an object pronoun.
Nepali
"म" (ma) is a contraction of "मैं" (mai, "I") and is used as an intensifier to express possession, emphasis, or reflection.
Punjabiਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)මා
The Sinhala word “මා” can also be used to refer to the concept of “essence” or “soul”.
Tamilநானே
In Tamil, 'நானே' can also be an interjection expressing exasperation, such as "Oh, really?"
Teluguనేనే
The word "నేనే" in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "नमः" (namah), meaning "bowing down" or "obeisance".
Urduخود
The word "خود" in Urdu can also mean "self-existence" or the "essence of something."

Myself in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
The character "我" was originally used to mean "axe" in Oracle bone inscriptions.
Chinese (Traditional)
The character 我 can also mean "ego" or "self" in a more philosophical sense.
Japanese私自身
In informal speech, "私自身" can also refer to one's immediate family members.
Korean자기
The Korean word "자기" can also be translated as "one's own" or "self-confidence".
Mongolianби өөрөө
The word "би өөрөө" can also be used to emphasize the speaker's own agency or responsibility.
Myanmar (Burmese)ငါကိုယ်တိုင်

Myself in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiandiri
In the Indonesian language, "diri" can also mean "self" or "identity".
Javaneseaku dhewe
"Aku dhewe" in Javanese can also mean "by myself" in English.
Khmerខ្លួនខ្ញុំ
"ខ្លួនខ្ញុំ" means "myself" in English, but it can also be used to refer to the mind and body as a whole.
Laoຕົວຂ້ອຍເອງ
Malaysaya sendiri
In Malay, 'saya sendiri' also means 'by myself' and can emphasize the speaker's independence.
Thaiตัวเอง
The word "ตัวเอง" in Thai has many different meanings, including "myself," "you," "yourself," "I," and "we."
Vietnameseriêng tôi
The Vietnamese word "riêng tôi" is derived from the Chinese words "ziran", meaning "nature", and "wo", meaning "I".
Filipino (Tagalog)sarili ko

Myself in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniözüm
The word "özüm" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "öz", meaning "inner self" or "essence".
Kazakhөзім
The word "өзім" in Kazakh can also refer to "self" or "one's own person".
Kyrgyzөзүм
"Өзүм" can also mean "self", "ego", or "soul" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikхудам
The word "худам" may also mean "myself" as a grammatical term, rather than as a pronoun.
Turkmenözüm
Uzbeko'zim
The word "o'zim" is a possessive pronoun in Uzbek which can also mean "my own", "personal", or "self-interest."
Uyghurئۆزۈم

Myself in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiannaʻu iho
"Naʻu iho" comes from "naʻu" (mine) and "iho" (down), referring to something coming from oneself.
Maoriko au tonu
"Ko au tonu" can also mean "I am" or "I alone" in Maori.
Samoano aʻu lava
The Samoan word "o aʻu lava" literally means "of me myself".
Tagalog (Filipino)ang sarili ko
"Ang sarili ko" in Tagalog can also refer to one's sense of self or personal identity, or the essence of oneself.

Myself in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaranayapacha
Guaranichete

Myself in International Languages

Esperantomi mem
The Esperanto word "mi mem" is a contraction of "mi me mem" or "mi mem mem mem," meaning "me" as the direct object, indirect object, and subject of a verb.
Latinme
In Latin, "me" also denotes a form of the accusative case, indicating the object of a verb.

Myself in Others Languages

Greekεγώ ο ίδιος
The Greek word "εγώ ο ίδιος" (myself) is derived from the reflexive pronoun "εγώ" (I) and the intensifier "ο ίδιος" (the same).
Hmongkuv tus kheej
The word "kuv tus kheej" literally translates to "my own body" in Hmong.
Kurdishxwe
The Kurdish word "xwe", meaning "myself", is also used in the phrase "xwebexwe", meaning "each other" or "one another"
Turkishkendim
In Old Turkish, 'kendim' meant 'my own people, my family, my tribe', later it was extended to mean 'myself'.
Xhosangokwam
"Ngam" is the root of the word "ngokwam", meaning "my", and "kwam" means "at my place".
Yiddishזיך
The Yiddish word "זיך" (zikh) is derived from the Old High German word "sih", meaning "self" or "oneself."
Zulunami
The Zulu word "nami" can also mean "my body" or "my person."
Assameseমই নিজেই
Aymaranayapacha
Bhojpuriहम खुद
Dhivehiއަހަރެން
Dogriआपूं
Filipino (Tagalog)sarili ko
Guaranichete
Ilocanobagbagik
Kriomisɛf
Kurdish (Sorani)خۆم
Maithiliखुद सँ
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯩꯍꯥꯡ ꯏꯁꯥꯃꯛ
Mizokeimah
Oromoofuma kiyya
Odia (Oriya)ମୁଁ ନିଜେ
Quechuakikiy
Sanskritमाम्
Tatarүзем
Tigrinyaባዕለይ
Tsongamina

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter

Weekly TipWeekly Tip

Deepen your understanding of global issues by looking at keywords in multiple languages.

Immerse Yourself in the World of Languages

Type in any word and see it translated into 104 languages. Where possible, you'll also get to hear its pronunciation in languages your browser supports. Our goal? To make exploring languages straightforward and enjoyable.

How to use our multi-language translation tool

How to use our multi-language translation tool

Turn words into a kaleidoscope of languages in a few simple steps

  1. Start with a word

    Just type the word you're curious about into our search box.

  2. Auto-complete to the rescue

    Let our auto-complete nudge you in the right direction to quickly find your word.

  3. See and hear translations

    With a click, see translations in 104 languages and hear pronunciations where your browser supports audio.

  4. Grab the translations

    Need the translations for later? Download all the translations in a neat JSON file for your project or study.

Explore More Apps You'll Love

Turn chaos into order with the help of our Word Unscrambler Online. It’s your first step towards deciphering the puzzle and claiming your victory.

Why struggle with wordiness when this free adjective generator can help you express your thoughts more succinctly? It’s a must-use tool for efficient communicators.

Bridge the gap between knowing and speaking a language fluently with multilingual pronunciation resources.

Features section image

Features overview

  • Instant translations with audio where available

    Type in your word and get translations in a flash. Where available, click to hear how it's pronounced in different languages, right from your browser.

  • Quick find with auto-complete

    Our smart auto-complete helps you quickly find your word, making your journey to translation smooth and hassle-free.

  • Translations in 104 Languages, no selection needed

    We've got you covered with automatic translations and audio in supported languages for every word, no need to pick and choose.

  • Downloadable translations in JSON

    Looking to work offline or integrate translations into your project? Download them in a handy JSON format.

  • All free, All for you

    Jump into the language pool without worrying about costs. Our platform is open to all language lovers and curious minds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you provide translations and audio?

It's simple! Type in a word, and instantly see its translations. If your browser supports it, you'll also see a play button to hear pronunciations in various languages.

Can I download these translations?

Absolutely! You can download a JSON file with all the translations for any word, perfect for when you're offline or working on a project.

What if I can't find my word?

We're constantly growing our list of 3000 words. If you don't see yours, it might not be there yet, but we're always adding more!

Is there a fee to use your site?

Not at all! We're passionate about making language learning accessible to everyone, so our site is completely free to use.