Themselves in Different Languages
Discover 'Themselves' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'themselves' is a reflexive pronoun in English, used to indicate that the subject of the sentence is performing an action on itself. This word is not only grammatically significant but also culturally important as it helps us understand the relationship between the subject and the object in a sentence. Understanding how different languages translate 'themselves' can provide insight into the unique cultural and linguistic aspects of various societies.
For instance, in Spanish, 'themselves' is translated to 'ellos mismos' or 'ellas mismas' depending on the gender. In German, it is 'sich selbst', while in French, 'eux-mêmes' or 'elles-mêmes' is used. These translations not only reflect the grammatical structure of the language but also the cultural values and norms of the society.
So, whether you're a language learner looking to expand your vocabulary or a cultural enthusiast interested in the nuances of different languages, understanding the translations of 'themselves' can be a fascinating journey. Here are some translations of 'themselves' in various languages:
Themselves
Themselves in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hulself | ||
| Hulself is an archaic form of the Afrikaans word hulleself, meaning 'themselves' and derived from the Middle Dutch word hulselven. | |||
| Amharic | ራሳቸው | ||
| The word ራሳቸው (rasachew) is derived from the root word ራስ (ras), which means "head". It can also be used to refer to the body or the person as a whole. | |||
| Hausa | kansu | ||
| In Hausa, “kansu” can also mean “on their own” or “by themselves.” | |||
| Igbo | onwe ha | ||
| Onwe ha is also used in the context of a singular pronoun to mean 'they' or 'one'. | |||
| Malagasy | tena | ||
| The etymology of the Malagasy word 'tena' is unclear, and it also means 'ten' in several other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | iwowo | ||
| "Iwowo" can also mean "on their own" or "by themselves". | |||
| Shona | pachavo | ||
| The word "pachavo" is also the reflexive pronoun in Shona, meaning "themselves" or "each other." | |||
| Somali | naftooda | ||
| The word "naftooda" can also mean "by themselves" or "on their own" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ka bobona | ||
| The word 'ka bobona' can be traced back to the verb 'ho ikoboha' which means 'to glorify oneself' or 'to praise oneself'. | |||
| Swahili | wenyewe | ||
| In Swahili, 'wenyewe' can also refer to indigenous or native people or things. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokwabo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ngokwabo' can also mean 'by itself' or 'on its own'. | |||
| Yoruba | ara wọn | ||
| The Yoruba word "ara wọn" (meaning "their bodies") can also refer to "their selves" or to their essence. | |||
| Zulu | ngokwabo | ||
| The word "ngokwabo" can also refer to "in itself" or "on its own" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | u yɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | woawo ŋutɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwabo | ||
| Lingala | bango moko | ||
| Luganda | bokka | ||
| Sepedi | ka bobona | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wɔn ara | ||
Themselves in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أنفسهم | ||
| "أنفسهم" can refer to a particular state, such as happiness or sadness (e.g. "هو في ذاته حزين") | |||
| Hebrew | עצמם | ||
| The Hebrew word "עצמם" is derived from the root "עצם", meaning "bone" or "essence", emphasizing the intrinsic and central nature of the self. | |||
| Pashto | خپل | ||
| The word "خپل" in Pashto can also mean "own" or "belonging to oneself." | |||
| Arabic | أنفسهم | ||
| "أنفسهم" can refer to a particular state, such as happiness or sadness (e.g. "هو في ذاته حزين") | |||
Themselves in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vetveten | ||
| In some dialects of South Albanian, it can mean "each other" in the inclusive sense. | |||
| Basque | beraiek | ||
| The word "beraiek" can be broken down into two parts: "ber" and "aiek". "Ber" means "self" and "aiek" means "these". So, literally, "beraiek" means "these selves". | |||
| Catalan | ells mateixos | ||
| "Ells mateixos" literally translates to "the same ones" or "they themselves" and is a reflexive pronoun in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | se | ||
| In Croatian, "se" can also mean "himself" or "herself", or be used to indicate that an action is being done to oneself or by oneself. | |||
| Danish | dem selv | ||
| The word "dem selv" in Danish originally meant "their own soul". | |||
| Dutch | zich | ||
| The Middle Dutch word "si" is also the source of the Dutch third-person reflexive pronoun "zich". | |||
| English | themselves | ||
| The word "themselves" derives from the Old English word "him self", meaning "by him or her self". | |||
| French | se | ||
| The French word "se" is derived from the Latin reflexive particle "sē", meaning "self", and is commonly used in grammar as a reflexive pronoun, but can also refer to impersonal usage, reciprocity, or a passive construction. | |||
| Frisian | harsels | ||
| Harsels is related to the word "hers" which means "self" in English, and is often used as an intensifier, similar to "own" in English. | |||
| Galician | eles mesmos | ||
| The expression eles mesmos comes from the word eles which means "they" or "them" and mesmos that means "same"} | |||
| German | sich | ||
| The German word "sich" is a reflexive pronoun that also means "itself." | |||
| Icelandic | sjálfir | ||
| Sjálfir in Icelandic derives from the Old Norse 'sjalfr', meaning 'self', and the reflexive suffix '-ir', indicating that the action is performed by the subject upon itself. | |||
| Irish | iad féin | ||
| The word "iad féin" in Irish literally means "their own" and can be used to refer to a single person or a group of people. | |||
| Italian | loro stessi | ||
| The Italian word "loro stessi" can be translated as "themselves," "on their own," or "by themselves." | |||
| Luxembourgish | sech selwer | ||
| Maltese | infushom | ||
| In Maltese, the word "infushom" can also refer to "their own house" or "their own family." | |||
| Norwegian | dem selv | ||
| The word "dem selv" is a reflexive pronoun in Norwegian, and can also be used to mean "on their own" or "by themselves". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | si mesmos | ||
| "Si mesmos" comes from Latin "sēmetipsīs", which in turn originated from the Greek root "autos" meaning "self." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iad fhèin | ||
| The Gaelic word "iad fhèin" has the alternate meanings of "he himself" and "she herself". | |||
| Spanish | sí mismos | ||
| The Spanish phrase "sí mismos" can also refer to one's own thoughts or feelings, while "a sí mismos" emphasizes the reflexive nature of an action. | |||
| Swedish | sig själva | ||
| The word "sig själva" can also refer to the reflexive pronoun "one another". | |||
| Welsh | eu hunain | ||
| "Eu hunain" (themselves) can also mean a man's wife | |||
Themselves in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | самі | ||
| The word "самі" in Belarusian derives from "сам" meaning "self", which is also present in "самотны" meaning "lonely". | |||
| Bosnian | sami | ||
| The word "sami" is sometimes used as a polite form of address for a group of people. | |||
| Bulgarian | себе си | ||
| The word "себе си" can also mean "to oneself" or "by oneself" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | oni sami | ||
| The word "oni sami" can also mean "they on their own" or "they themselves". | |||
| Estonian | ise | ||
| The Estonian word “ise” has been used in the sense of “self” since at least the 13th century, possibly earlier. | |||
| Finnish | itse | ||
| "Itse" is also used in the sense of "self" or "being" in Finnish, and can be compared to the German "selbst" or the English "self". | |||
| Hungarian | maguk | ||
| The word "maguk" in Hungarian can also mean "you" in a formal or polite context. | |||
| Latvian | paši | ||
| "Paši" (themselves) comes from the Middle Low German word "pese", meaning "each one". | |||
| Lithuanian | patys | ||
| The word "patys" can also mean "the same" or "identical" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | самите | ||
| The word "самите" in Macedonian derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*samъ", meaning "self" or "same". | |||
| Polish | sami | ||
| The word "sami" in Polish can also mean "by themselves" or "on their own." | |||
| Romanian | înșiși | ||
| The Romanian "înșiși" derives from "sine ipsi', the Latin accusative plural of the reflexive pronoun, and in its reflexive sense is sometimes rendered with an accent mark: "însăși". | |||
| Russian | самих себя | ||
| The word "самих себя" in Russian is a genitive plural form of the reflexive pronoun "себя" and can also be used to refer to one's own group. | |||
| Serbian | себе | ||
| "Себе" in Serbian can also be used as a reflexive pronoun meaning "oneself" or "himself, herself". | |||
| Slovak | sami | ||
| The word "sami" in Slovak can also mean "alone" or "by oneself" | |||
| Slovenian | sami | ||
| The word 'sami' can also mean 'alone' or 'by oneself' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | самі | ||
| The word "самі" also means "alone" or "by oneself" in Ukrainian. | |||
Themselves in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নিজেদের | ||
| নিজেদের also means "one's own" or "self." | |||
| Gujarati | પોતાને | ||
| The word, derived from Proto-Indo-European *poti-, originally meant "lord, master". | |||
| Hindi | अपने | ||
| Hindi "अपने" can refer not only to a reflexive pronoun but also to relatives, friends, or close acquaintances. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ವತಃ | ||
| "ಸ್ವತಃ" can also mean "of its own nature" or "in itself" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്വയം | ||
| The Malayalam word "സ്വയം" can also mean "self" or "by oneself". | |||
| Marathi | स्वत: ला | ||
| The word "स्वत: ला" (svataḥ lā) in Marathi is derived from Sanskrit and has alternative meanings such as "by oneself" or "automatically." | |||
| Nepali | आफैं | ||
| "आफैं" (āfaiṃ) is a Nepali word meaning "themselves". It is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्मन्" (ātman), which means "self". "आफैं" can also mean "by oneself" or "on its own". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තමන්ම | ||
| The word තමන්ම (tamanm) in Sinhala can also mean "by oneself" or "on one's own". | |||
| Tamil | தங்களை | ||
| The word "தங்களை" can also mean "yourselves" in a formal or respectful context. | |||
| Telugu | తమను తాము | ||
| Urdu | خود | ||
| 'خود' is an important concept in Urdu and can also refer to 'self', 'ego', or 'identity'. | |||
Themselves in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 他们自己 | ||
| "他们自己" (tāmen zìjǐ) can also refer to "their" or "theirs". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 他們自己 | ||
| 他們自己 (tāmen zìjǐ) means "themselves" or "they" in English, and is a reflexive pronoun. | |||
| Japanese | 自分自身 | ||
| "自分自身" can also mean "oneself" or "in person". | |||
| Korean | 그들 자신 | ||
| In Korean, "그들 자신" (geudeul chajineun) can also mean "on their own". | |||
| Mongolian | өөрсдөө | ||
| Өөрсдөө" can also mean "by themselves," "on their own," or "all by themselves." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သူတို့ကိုယ်သူတို့ | ||
Themselves in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | diri | ||
| "Diri" also means "body" in Bahasa Indonesia | |||
| Javanese | awake dhewe | ||
| In certain Javanese dialects, "awake dhewe" ("themselves") is also used to refer to "oneself" in formal contexts. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លួនគេ | ||
| ខ្លួនគេ may also mean "each other", "one another", or "each other's" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຕົວເອງ | ||
| The Lao word "ຕົວເອງ" (tua-ngern) can also refer to one's self, as in "he took it upon himself". | |||
| Malay | diri mereka | ||
| "Diri mereka" is a Malay phrase that can also mean "their own people". | |||
| Thai | ตัวเอง | ||
| "ตัวเอง" can also mean "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", etc. depending on the context. | |||
| Vietnamese | chúng tôi | ||
| "Chúng tôi" also means "we" but is only used when the subject is plural. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kanilang sarili | ||
Themselves in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | özləri | ||
| The word "özləri" is derived from the Persian word "خودشان" (xodxan) and can also mean "masters" or "owners" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | өздері | ||
| In Kazakh, "өздері" can also mean "their own". It is originally a plural form of the pronoun "өз" (self). | |||
| Kyrgyz | өзүлөрү | ||
| Tajik | худашон | ||
| Худашон, derived from an old verb “хушастан” to make or become, also means "the person in charge"} | |||
| Turkmen | özleri | ||
| Uzbek | o'zlari | ||
| The Uzbek word "o'zlari" can also be used to refer to the eyes or head of an individual. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆزلىرى | ||
Themselves in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lakou iho | ||
| The word "lakou iho" in Hawaiian comes from the root word "lakou" meaning "to dwell" or "to live" and the suffix "-iho" indicating direction or position. | |||
| Maori | ko ratou ano | ||
| The Maori word "ko ratou ano" is derived from the verb "ano" meaning "to be itself" or "to remain the same". | |||
| Samoan | latou lava | ||
| The word "latou lava" can also be used to mean "we" when the speaker is referring to themselves and others. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ang kanilang mga sarili | ||
Themselves in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jupanak pachpa | ||
| Guarani | ha'ekuéra voi | ||
Themselves in International Languages
| Esperanto | sin mem | ||
| The word "sin mem" in Esperanto, meaning "themselves," comes from the Latin "sine" (without) and "memo" (mind). | |||
| Latin | sibi | ||
| Sibi in Latin can be used in other contexts to denote reflexive or reciprocal actions, as well as possession of something. | |||
Themselves in Others Languages
| Greek | τους εαυτούς τους | ||
| The Greek word "τους εαυτούς τους" literally means "their themselves", an emphatic form of the reflexive pronoun "εαυτούς". | |||
| Hmong | lawv tus kheej | ||
| The Hmong word "lawv tus kheej" is also used to refer to the "self" within an individual | |||
| Kurdish | xwe | ||
| "Xwe" also means "home" or "heart" in Kurdish, reflecting a worldview where individuals and home are deeply connected. | |||
| Turkish | kendilerini | ||
| The word "kendilerini" in Turkish can also mean "themselves alone" or "in person". | |||
| Xhosa | ngokwabo | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ngokwabo' can also mean 'by itself' or 'on its own'. | |||
| Yiddish | זיך | ||
| The word "זיך" can also mean "himself," "herself," or "itself." | |||
| Zulu | ngokwabo | ||
| The word "ngokwabo" can also refer to "in itself" or "on its own" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | তেওঁলোকে নিজে | ||
| Aymara | jupanak pachpa | ||
| Bhojpuri | ऊ लोग खुद | ||
| Dhivehi | އެމީހުން | ||
| Dogri | खुद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kanilang sarili | ||
| Guarani | ha'ekuéra voi | ||
| Ilocano | dagiti bukodda | ||
| Krio | dɛnsɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆیان | ||
| Maithili | अपनेसँ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯈꯣꯏ ꯃꯁꯥꯃꯛ | ||
| Mizo | anni | ||
| Oromo | isaanuma | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିଜେ | | ||
| Quechua | kikinku | ||
| Sanskrit | तस्मान् | ||
| Tatar | үзләре | ||
| Tigrinya | ባዕሎም | ||
| Tsonga | vona vinyi | ||