Yourself in Different Languages
Discover 'Yourself' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'yourself' is a common term used in many languages and cultures, referring to the person who is being addressed. It is a reflection of one's individuality and self-awareness, emphasizing the importance of understanding oneself in relation to others. The word 'yourself' has been used in literature, philosophy, and psychology to explore the depths of human consciousness and behavior.
Interestingly, the word 'yourself' has different translations in various languages, each with its unique cultural nuances and connotations. For instance, in Spanish, 'yourself' is 'ti mismo', while in French, it is 'toi-même'. In German, the word 'yourself' is 'dich selbst', and in Japanese, it is 'じselves' (jibun).
Understanding the translation of 'yourself' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural perspectives and values of various societies. It can also help facilitate cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for linguistic diversity.
Yourself
Yourself in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jouself | ||
| Jouself means 'yourself' in Afrikaans and can also refer to a place, a person, or a thing. | |||
| Amharic | ራስህን | ||
| "ራስህን" literally translates to "on your head", reflecting the concept of carrying or holding something on one's head, which is a common practice in Ethiopian culture. | |||
| Hausa | kanka | ||
| The word "kanka" also means "partner" or "friend". | |||
| Igbo | onwe gị | ||
| The Igbo word "onwe gị" literally means "your own," highlighting the idea of ownership and self-identification. | |||
| Malagasy | ny tenanao | ||
| The Malagasy word "ny tenanao" has etymological links to the word "tena", which signifies the person as an individual. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wekha | ||
| Derived from Old Persian "wika," meaning "one's own," the word "wekha" can also refer to "belongings." | |||
| Shona | iwe pachako | ||
| Somali | naftaada | ||
| The word "naftaada" is derived from the Arabic word "nafs" which means "self". | |||
| Sesotho | uena | ||
| Swahili | wewe mwenyewe | ||
| The word 'wewe mwenyewe' in Swahili literally means 'you yourself' and is a reflexive pronoun used to emphasize the subject of a sentence. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokwakho | ||
| In Xhosa, 'ngokwakho' can also mean 'of your own accord' or 'by yourself'. | |||
| Yoruba | funrararẹ | ||
| The Yoruba word "funrararẹ" (yourself) is also used to address someone familiarly, as an informal and respectful way to address a peer or someone younger. | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The Zulu word "wena" could be cognate to the Xhosa "wena," "mna," or "umntu," all meaning "person." | |||
| Bambara | i yɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | wò ŋutɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | wowe ubwawe | ||
| Lingala | yo moko | ||
| Luganda | ggwe | ||
| Sepedi | wena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wo ho | ||
Yourself in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نفسك | ||
| نفسك derives from the root word ن ف س meaning “breath” or “self,” and can mean “being,” “essence,” “soul,” or “person.” | |||
| Hebrew | עַצמְךָ | ||
| The word "עַצְמְךָ" ("yourself") in Hebrew stems from "עֶצֶם" (bone), indicating your inner being, or essence. | |||
| Pashto | خپل ځان | ||
| "خپل ځان" can also be used to refer to one's own mind, body, or soul. | |||
| Arabic | نفسك | ||
| نفسك derives from the root word ن ف س meaning “breath” or “self,” and can mean “being,” “essence,” “soul,” or “person.” | |||
Yourself in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vetveten | ||
| The verb është ('to be') is sometimes used as a possessive pronoun when combined with the reflexive pronoun vetë ('oneself'), but is then used as the third person possessive pronoun rather than second person as in English | |||
| Basque | zeure burua | ||
| Zeure burua, meaning “yourself” in Basque, is composed of the words zeure (“your”) and burua (“head”). | |||
| Catalan | tu mateix | ||
| It can mean not only 'yourself' but also 'in person' | |||
| Croatian | sami | ||
| The word sami derives from the Proto-Slavic word *samъ, meaning 'alone'. | |||
| Danish | dig selv | ||
| "Dig selv" in Danish literally means "you dig" or "you dig yourself" and shares the same etymology with "dig" meaning "ditch" and "dig" meaning "to move earth"} | |||
| Dutch | jezelf | ||
| The word "jezelf" in Dutch is derived from the Old Dutch "si selva", meaning "oneself". | |||
| English | yourself | ||
| The word "yourself" can also be used as a reflexive pronoun, meaning "the person speaking or being spoken to." | |||
| French | toi même | ||
| The phrase "toi même" in French can also mean "me yourself" or "you yourself," depending on the context. | |||
| Frisian | dysels | ||
| The word "dysels" in Frisian originally referred to the reflexive pronoun corresponding to "it", while "dy" referred to the "you" reflexive pronoun. | |||
| Galician | ti mesmo | ||
| In addition to meaning "yourself," "ti mesmo" can also mean "the same" in Galician. | |||
| German | du selber | ||
| In addition to meaning "yourself", "du selber" also means "you yourself", emphasizing the subject's personal involvement or autonomy. | |||
| Icelandic | sjálfur | ||
| The word "sjálfur" comes from the Proto-Norse "selbo" which also means "alone" or "by oneself". | |||
| Irish | tú féin | ||
| The Irish word "tú féin" can also mean "you yourself", "in person", or "by yourself". | |||
| Italian | te stesso | ||
| Te stesso is also an archaic Italian reflexive pronoun meaning "oneself". | |||
| Luxembourgish | selwer | ||
| Luxembourgish "selwer" also means "same" and is related to the English word "self". | |||
| Maltese | lilek innifsek | ||
| The word "lilek innifsek" can refer to the person being addressed when it is used without "inn" and the personal pronoun "lilek", and as a reflexive pronoun, it can refer to the subject of the verb. | |||
| Norwegian | deg selv | ||
| The word "deg selv" in Norwegian literally translates to "yourself self". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | você mesmo | ||
| In Portuguese, "você mesmo/mesma" also means "me, myself and I" (as in a group), "yourself and your colleagues" (plural) or even "you" (informal second person singular). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | thu fhèin | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "thu fhèin" not only means "yourself," but also implies "your own person," emphasizing individuality and autonomy. | |||
| Spanish | usted mismo | ||
| In Old Spanish, "usted mismo" meant "the actual you," not just "yourself" (compare with the Italian "voi stesso"). | |||
| Swedish | själv | ||
| "Själv" also means "soul" or "mind" and comes from the Old Norse word "sjalfr, which means "self". | |||
| Welsh | eich hun | ||
| The word 'eich hun' literally means 'your own being', referring to the self as a complete entity. | |||
Yourself in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сябе | ||
| The Belarusian word "сябе" ("yourself") has multiple meanings in other languages, including "myself" (Russian), "self" (German), and "self-esteem" (French). | |||
| Bosnian | sebe | ||
| The word 'sebe' in Bosnian also means 'self' as in 'self-confidence', 'self-esteem' and 'self-love'. | |||
| Bulgarian | себе си | ||
| The Bulgarian word "себе си" literally means "to, at, near oneself" and derives from the Old Slavic word "*se-bь-ě". | |||
| Czech | vy sám | ||
| The word "vy sám" can also mean "you alone" or "you yourself". | |||
| Estonian | ise | ||
| The word "ise" in Estonian can also mean "same" or "self". | |||
| Finnish | sinä itse | ||
| "Sinä itse" literally means "you yourself" or "yourself alone" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | saját magad | ||
| The word "saját magad" literally means "your own self" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | sevi | ||
| Sevi is a loanword from Old Prussian, and is cognate with Lithuanian sau, Russian себя, and Polish siebie. | |||
| Lithuanian | save | ||
| The Lithuanian word "gelbėti" means "to save" in English, but can also mean "to rescue" or "to deliver". | |||
| Macedonian | себе си | ||
| The Macedonian word "себе си" can also be used in the sense of "himself" or "herself", especially when the subject of the sentence is implied or unknown. | |||
| Polish | siebie | ||
| "Siebie" in Polish can refer to oneself or one's possessions. | |||
| Romanian | tu | ||
| The word "tu" in Romanian is cognate with the French word "tu" (meaning "you") and the English word "thou" (archaic form of "you"). | |||
| Russian | самим собой | ||
| The word «самим собой» in Russian can also mean «by oneself» in English, indicating a person acting alone. | |||
| Serbian | себе | ||
| The word "себе" in Serbian also means "to oneself" or "for oneself". | |||
| Slovak | seba | ||
| The word "seba" can also mean "one's own" or "in person" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | sebe | ||
| "Sebe" can also mean "to oneself" or "in person". | |||
| Ukrainian | себе | ||
| In Ukrainian, "себе" ("sebe") also means "to oneself" and is used in the reflexive sense (e.g., "говорить себе" - "to talk to oneself"). | |||
Yourself in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নিজেকে | ||
| The word "নিজেকে" is a combination of three words in Bengali: নিজ ("own/self"), জি ("you"), and অ্য ("in the sense of/similar to"). | |||
| Gujarati | જાતે | ||
| The word "જાતે" can also mean "by itself" or "automatically" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | स्वयं | ||
| The word स्वयं is cognate to suus in Latin, αυτός in Greek, and sebh in Coptic: all these words, coming from Proto-Indo-European *sewe, mean “self.” | |||
| Kannada | ನೀವೇ | ||
| The term "ನೀವೇ" can also be used to address someone with respect, similar to the English "you". | |||
| Malayalam | നിങ്ങൾ സ്വയം | ||
| Marathi | तू स्वतः | ||
| The Marathi word "तू स्वतः" is sometimes used to emphasize the importance of self-reliance. | |||
| Nepali | आफैं | ||
| The word "आफैं" in Nepali can also mean "alone" or "independently". | |||
| Punjabi | ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔබම | ||
| The Sinhala word | |||
| Tamil | நீங்களே | ||
| "நீங்களே" is a reflexive pronoun in Tamil that can also mean "by yourself" or "on your own." | |||
| Telugu | మీరే | ||
| Urdu | اپنے آپ کو | ||
Yourself in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 你自己 | ||
| “你自己”在中文中的语义比“yourself”要丰富，既可以指单数，也可以指复数，还可以用来表示对特定人群的敬称。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 你自己 | ||
| The Chinese term 「你自己」 literally translates to "you yourself" and emphasizes the subjective and independent nature of the action or state it refers to. | |||
| Japanese | あなた自身 | ||
| The word "あなた自身" can also mean "you" or "oneself" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 당신 자신 | ||
| The Korean word "당신 자신" (dangshin jasin) can also mean "by yourself" or "on your own." | |||
| Mongolian | өөрөө | ||
| Өөрөө can also mean "alone" or "by oneself". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သင်ကိုယ်တိုင် | ||
Yourself in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dirimu sendiri | ||
| "Dirimu sendiri" means "yourself" in Indonesian, but it literally means "your own self." | |||
| Javanese | dhewe | ||
| In Javanese, | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លួនអ្នក | ||
| The Khmer word 'ខ្លួនអ្នក' ('yourself') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'svayam' ('self') and can also mean 'in person' or 'personally'. | |||
| Lao | ຕົວທ່ານເອງ | ||
| Malay | diri anda | ||
| While "diri anda" is the most common translation for "yourself", the word "diri" can also mean "body". | |||
| Thai | ตัวคุณเอง | ||
| The word "ตัวคุณเอง" ("yourself") can also mean "your own body" or "your own person." | |||
| Vietnamese | bản thân bạn | ||
| The Vietnamese word "bản thân bạn" can also mean "oneself" or "yourself". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sarili mo | ||
Yourself in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | özün | ||
| "Öz" in Azerbaijani goes back to the Old Turkic word "öz" meaning "self" and the Persian word "hun" meaning "own". | |||
| Kazakh | өзің | ||
| The Kazakh word "өзің" is a contraction of "өзіңіз" which can also mean "you" in a formal or polite way. | |||
| Kyrgyz | өзүң | ||
| "Өзүң" means both "yourself" and third person singular present tense of the verb "to be" (a formal version of "болот") in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | худ | ||
| In Tajik, "худ" can also refer to a person's appearance or physical condition, and is related to the Persian word "khud" meaning "self" or "person" | |||
| Turkmen | özüň | ||
| Uzbek | o'zingiz | ||
| "Özingiz" (yourself) comes from the Persian word "خود" (self). It can also refer to "your own" or "alone". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆزىڭىز | ||
Yourself in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻo ʻoe iho | ||
| ʻO ʻoe iho literally means "your own self" and is used in Hawaiian to indicate that something is done by the person himself or herself. | |||
| Maori | koe | ||
| In Māori, “koe” can also mean “you” or “your” when used in certain contexts. | |||
| Samoan | oe lava | ||
| In Samoan, "oe lava" is a term of endearment and can also refer to a close friend or beloved. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ang sarili mo | ||
| Ang sarili mo', which literally means 'your self', can also refer to 'one's own' or 'by oneself' in Tagalog. | |||
Yourself in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jumapacha | ||
| Guarani | ndete | ||
Yourself in International Languages
| Esperanto | vi mem | ||
| The Esperanto word "vi mem" can also mean "yourself" in the sense of "your own person" or "your true self." | |||
| Latin | ipsum | ||
| The word "ipsum" in Latin also means "selfsame" or "very same". | |||
Yourself in Others Languages
| Greek | ο ίδιος | ||
| The Greek word "ο ίδιος" also means "the same" and has the same Indo-European root as the English word "identity." | |||
| Hmong | koj tus kheej | ||
| The word "koj tus kheej" can also mean "one's own people" or "one's own group." | |||
| Kurdish | xwe | ||
| The word "xwe" in Kurdish can also mean "self", "ego", or "soul." | |||
| Turkish | kendin | ||
| The word 'kendin' comes from the Persian word 'khwod' meaning 'self'. In some dialects of Turkish, it can also be used to mean 'himself', 'herself', 'itself', or 'themselves'. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokwakho | ||
| In Xhosa, 'ngokwakho' can also mean 'of your own accord' or 'by yourself'. | |||
| Yiddish | זיך | ||
| In Yiddish, "זיך" (zikh) can also refer to "one's mind" or "one's inner self" | |||
| Zulu | wena | ||
| The Zulu word "wena" could be cognate to the Xhosa "wena," "mna," or "umntu," all meaning "person." | |||
| Assamese | আপুনি নিজেই | ||
| Aymara | jumapacha | ||
| Bhojpuri | रऊआ खुद | ||
| Dhivehi | ތިބާ | ||
| Dogri | थुआढ़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sarili mo | ||
| Guarani | ndete | ||
| Ilocano | bukodmo | ||
| Krio | yusɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خۆت | ||
| Maithili | अपने सँ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯁꯥꯃꯛ | ||
| Mizo | nangma | ||
| Oromo | atumti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିଜେ | ||
| Quechua | kikiyki | ||
| Sanskrit | स्वयमेव | ||
| Tatar | үзең | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓርስኻ | ||
| Tsonga | wena | ||