themselves
themselves — 代名詞
1. used as the object of a verb or preposition when the people or animals doing the
自己
主語和賓語是同一群人
used as the object of a verb or preposition when the people or animals doing the action are the same people or animals that receive the action — for example, when children wash themselves, or when a team blames themselves for losing.
The children taught themselves to swim during the summer holidays.
孩子們在暑假自己學會了游泳。
reflexive: group as both subject and object
Noa and Quinn felt proud of themselves after finishing the race.
Noa 和 Quinn 跑完比賽後，對自己感到非常自豪。
The senior team members pushed themselves hard to meet the deadline.
資深團隊成員拚命督促自己，以趕上截止日期。
Liang and Rin locked themselves out of the house by accident.
Liang 和 Rin 不小心把自己鎖在了門外。
The stray cats in our neighborhood clean themselves on the sunny porch every afternoon.
我們社區的流浪貓每天下午會在陽光普照的門廊上清理自己。
文法句型
they/group + verb + themselves
用法筆記
This is the core reflexive use of 'themselves'. The subject must be plural (they, a group of people, or animals). For a single person with unknown gender, use sense 3 (SINGULAR THEY).
常見錯誤
2. used to draw attention to a particular group, stressing that it really was that
親自；本身
強調就是這個團體本身
used to draw attention to a particular group, stressing that it really was that group (and no other) who performed the action — for example, when the managers themselves admit a mistake, or when the athletes themselves choose their captain.
The teachers themselves admitted the exam was much too difficult.
老師們親自承認考試太難了。
emphatic: [group] + themselves + verb
The sixth-grade students themselves came up with the bake-sale idea to fund their trip.
六年級學生自己想出了用烘焙義賣來為旅行籌款的點子。
The Olympic relay runners themselves chose their team captain before the championship.
奧運接力選手們在錦標賽前自己選出了隊長。
The hospital staff themselves donated money to buy new equipment.
醫院員工親自捐款購買新設備。
文法句型
they + themselves + verb
noun/name + themselves + verb
用法筆記
In this sense 'themselves' comes directly after the noun or pronoun it emphasizes. It cannot be removed without changing the meaning — the emphasis would be lost. Compare: 'The CEO apologized' (simple fact) vs 'The CEO herself apologized' (emphasizes the CEO's personal involvement). For a single person, use 'himself' or 'herself'.
3. used instead of 'himself' or 'herself' when talking about one person whose gende
自身
性別不明或毋需區分性別時使用
used instead of 'himself' or 'herself' when talking about one person whose gender is not known or not important — for example, when a doctor says 'a patient should not treat themselves', or when a notice asks 'each guest to help themselves to drinks'.
If a new member joins the club, give them time to introduce themselves.
如果有新成員加入社團，給他們時間自我介紹。
singular they: someone + themselves (gender unknown)
A new employee who feels unwell at work should take care of themselves before continuing.
在上班時感到不舒服的新進同事應該先照顧好自己再繼續工作。
Every guest at the party was asked to help themselves to the buffet.
派對上的每位來賓都請自行取用自助餐。
Each student in the biology class can choose a topic for themselves to research at the science fair.
生物課上的每個學生都可以為自己選擇一個主題，在科展上做研究。
文法句型
someone/anyone/ + verb + themselves
用法筆記
This use of 'themselves' with a singular antecedent (someone, anyone, everyone, each person) is common in modern English, especially in everyday speech. Some formal style guides still prefer 'himself or herself', but singular 'they/them/themselves' is now widely accepted in most contexts.
常見錯誤
4. alone, without other people nearby; or without help from anyone else — for examp
獨自；獨立
獨自一人或無他人協助
alone, without other people nearby; or without help from anyone else — for example, when children walk to school on their own, or when a team builds a shelter without outside assistance.
The children walked to school by themselves for the first time.
孩子們第一次自己走路去上學。
by themselves = alone, unaccompanied
After the party, the hosts were left by themselves to clean up.
派對結束後，只剩主人自己留下來打掃。
The students built the model rocket by themselves without any help.
學生們完全靠自己建造了模型火箭。
The elderly couple live by themselves in a small mountain village.
這對年長夫婦獨自住在一個偏遠的山村裡。
Tuan and Arjun repaired the broken fence by themselves over the weekend.
Tuan 和 Arjun 週末自己修好了壞掉的籬笆。
- alone
focuses on being unaccompanied rather than unaided; 'live alone' is more common than 'live by themselves'
- on their own
interchangeable with 'by themselves' in most contexts; slightly more informal
- independently
more formal; emphasizes lack of external help rather than solitude
文法句型
by themselves
用法筆記
The meaning depends on context: 'by themselves' can mean either 'alone/without company' or 'without assistance'. When both interpretations are possible, the surrounding context clarifies which one is intended.
5. for their own exclusive benefit or use, without sharing with others; or based on
專用；自行
專屬使用或自行判斷
for their own exclusive benefit or use, without sharing with others; or based on their own judgment, not on what others say — for example, when a family has the whole beach to themselves, or when voters decide for themselves whom to support.
The guests had the whole swimming pool to themselves.
客人們獨享了整座游泳池。
have [something] to themselves = for their exclusive use
The research team kept the data for themselves and did not share it.
研究團隊將數據保留給自己，沒有分享出去。
The residents of the town must decide for themselves who should become the next mayor.
鎮上的居民必須自行決定誰應該成為下一任鎮長。
Zola and Nikos built a small fire and cooked dinner for themselves.
Zola 和 Nikos 生了一小堆火，為自己做晚餐。
- for their own benefit
more formal; specifies the purpose rather than exclusive use
文法句型
for themselves
用法筆記
When followed by an infinitive (e.g. 'decide for themselves what to do'), this phrase means 'without having others decide for them'. When used with 'have [something] to themselves', it means the thing is exclusively for their use.
6. not in their usual happy, healthy, or calm state — used when people behave stran
失常
不在平常健康快樂的狀態
not in their usual happy, healthy, or calm state — used when people behave strangely because they are sick, tired, worried, or upset. For example, when someone who is usually cheerful seems sad, you might say 'they are not themselves today'.
The twins have been quiet all morning — they are not themselves today.
這對雙胞胎整個早上都很安靜——他們今天不太對勁。
be + not + themselves = acting unusually
After the long flight, the children did not feel like themselves at all.
經過長途飛行後，孩子們感覺完全不像平常的自己。
The team played poorly and looked nothing like themselves on the field.
這支球隊表現得很差，在場上完全不像是他們自己。
Nora and Abigail were so exhausted they could barely be themselves.
Nora 和 Abigail 累到幾乎無法維持正常的狀態。
- not like themselves
less idiomatic; describes behavior rather than inner state
- out of sorts
slightly informal; also means not feeling well or in a good mood
- themselves again
used after recovery: 'They are themselves again' means back to normal
文法句型
be + not + themselves
feel + themselves
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in negative form ('not themselves') or with modifiers like 'quite' or 'really' ('not quite themselves', 'not really themselves'). It is used with the verb 'to be' or 'to feel' and describes a temporary condition, not a permanent personality change.