ourselves

ourselves — pronoun

1. used when 'we' act on the same group that includes the speaker, or when somethin

1.pronounA2
Definition

used when 'we' act on the same group that includes the speaker, or when something comes back to that group.

Example

We taught ourselves enough Korean to order dinner in Seoul.

teach ourselves + skill

After the map blew away, we found ourselves lost in the hills.

find ourselves + adjective

Common collocations
  • teach ourselves
  • find ourselves
  • blame ourselves
  • keep to ourselves
Synonyms
  • us

    the ordinary object form, not the reflexive form

  • each other

    used when members of the group do things to one another, not back to the whole group

Grammar Patterns

we + verb + ourselves

we + preposition + ourselves

find ourselves + adjective

Usage Note

Matches subjects such as 'we', 'my friends and I', or 'Maya and we' when the action returns to that same group. It can follow both verbs and prepositions, as in 'we hurt ourselves' and 'we kept the news to ourselves'.

Common Mistakes

We taught us some Korean before the trip.
We taught ourselves some Korean before the trip.
use the reflexive form when the subject and object are the same people.
Marcus and I blamed us for the delay.
Marcus and I blamed ourselves for the delay.
after a subject that includes the speaker, use 'ourselves', not 'us', for the reflexive meaning.

2. used to add strong stress to 'we' or 'us', showing that those people and not oth

2.pronounB1
Definition

used to add strong stress to 'we' or 'us', showing that those people and not others are meant.

Example

We ourselves carried the last boxes into the new apartment.

we ourselves + verb

Not the manager but we ourselves checked every ticket number.

contrast: we ourselves, not others

Common collocations
  • we ourselves
  • not we ourselves
Synonyms
  • personally

    can stress direct involvement, though it is an adverb, not a pronoun

  • we

    the plain subject form without extra emphasis

Grammar Patterns

we ourselves + verb

we ... ourselves, not ...

Usage Note

Usually placed right after 'we' for extra force, especially when contrasting our group with other people. Distinguish from sense 3 ON OUR OWN: this sense adds emphasis, but it does not by itself say whether anyone helped us.

Common Mistakes

Ourselves finished the report before lunch.
We ourselves finished the report before lunch.
the emphatic form cannot stand alone as the subject.
We ourselves fixed the roof' only means 'without help.
We fixed the roof ourselves' or 'We ourselves fixed the roof' depending on meaning.
sense 2 stresses who did it, while sense 3 adds the idea of no help.

3. with no other people with us, or with nobody helping us do the action.

3.pronounB1
Definition

with no other people with us, or with nobody helping us do the action.

Example

For two hours, we were by ourselves in the empty office.

by ourselves = alone

No builder came, so we built the chicken coop ourselves.

ourselves = without help

Common collocations
  • by ourselves
  • do it ourselves
  • cook ourselves
  • build ourselves
Synonyms
  • alone

    stresses that no other people are present

  • independently

    stresses acting without help or control

Grammar Patterns

by ourselves

we + verb + ourselves

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed phrase 'by ourselves' or after a verb such as 'cook', 'build', or 'learn'. Distinguish from sense 2 EMPHASIZING WE: sense 3 adds the idea of being alone or getting no help.

Common Mistakes

We were ourselves in the house after dark.
We were by ourselves in the house after dark.
for the meaning 'alone', English normally uses 'by ourselves'.
We did the job by ourselves, and John helped all day.
We did the job with John's help.
'by ourselves' conflicts with the idea that another person helped.

4. kept only for our group to use or enjoy, without sharing it with other people.

4.pronounB2
Definition

kept only for our group to use or enjoy, without sharing it with other people.

Example

On the train, we had a small table to ourselves by the window.

have + place + to ourselves

After lunch, we finally got the pool to ourselves for an hour.

get + place + to ourselves

Common collocations
  • have to ourselves
  • get to ourselves
  • room to ourselves
  • table to ourselves
Synonyms
  • for our own use

    a longer phrase with nearly the same meaning

  • private

    describes something not shared, though it is an adjective

Grammar Patterns

have + noun + to ourselves

get + noun + to ourselves

keep + noun + to ourselves

Usage Note

Most often follows 'have', 'get', or 'keep' with a room, table, pool, stretch of time, or another thing that could be shared. Distinguish from sense 3 ON OUR OWN: here the point is private use, not lack of help.

Common Mistakes

We were by ourselves at the pool all morning.
We had the pool to ourselves all morning.
'to ourselves' means the pool was not shared; 'by ourselves' only means no one else was with us.
The waiter gave ourselves a table near the door.
The waiter gave us a table to ourselves near the door.
after another person's action, use 'us', then add 'to ourselves' for the private-use idea.
Idioms

(all) by ourselves

idiom

Without any other people present or helping.

We built the treehouse all by ourselves last summer.

Did you two finish the project by yourselves?

(all) to ourselves

idiom

For our exclusive use, not shared with anyone else.

We had the entire beach all to ourselves this morning.

The kids want the playroom all to themselves.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: pronoun/1

For the main reflexive sense, ourselves is used when the subject and object point to the same group that includes the speaker. Us is only the ordinary object form, so we say The teacher called us, but We blamed ourselves. Myself and themselves are also reflexive pronouns, but they must match different subjects: I introduced myself, and the children amused themselves. Each other is different again because it shows people in a group acting toward one another, not back to the whole group. Compare We cut ourselves while cooking with We helped each other in the kitchen. Matching the pronoun to the subject is the key.

us ↗myself ↗themselves ↗each other

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Ourselves was formed in English from our and selves, the plural of self. English built many reflexive pronouns this way, joining a possessive word with self or selves, which is why the language has forms like myself, yourself, ourselves, and themselves.