Chinese Reflexive Pronouns: Saying 'I Hurt Myself' with 自己 (zìjǐ)
Learn how Mandarin uses 自己 (zìjǐ) when the subject and object are the same person, and see how it differs from ordinary object pronouns like 我 (wǒ) and 你 (nǐ).
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English you say 'I hurt myself' and 'She sees herself.' Mandarin handles this idea with the word 自己 (zìjǐ), which means 'self.' The key point is that Chinese does not change the verb form for reflexive actions; instead, it adds 自己 after a pronoun or noun. So 'I hurt myself' is 我伤了自己 (wǒ shāng le zìjǐ). Without 自己, 我伤了你 (wǒ shāng le nǐ) means 'I hurt you' — a completely different person. This lesson teaches you when 自己 is required, how it contrasts with object pronouns, and how to use it naturally in everyday sentences.
By the end, you can…
- use 自己 (zìjǐ) when the subject and object refer to the same person.
- tell the difference between 我自己 (wǒ zìjǐ) and object pronouns like 我 (wǒ) or 你 (nǐ).
- make simple reflexive sentences about daily actions such as hurting, seeing, introducing, and taking care of oneself.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我伤了自己。
I hurt myself.
wǒ shāng le zìjǐ
Use 自己 because the person hurt is the same as the person doing the hurting.
她常常鼓励自己。
She often encourages herself.
tā chángcháng gǔlì zìjǐ
The subject 她 (tā) and the object 自己 refer to the same person.
你应该照顾自己。
You should take care of yourself.
nǐ yīnggāi zhàogù zìjǐ
A common caring sentence; 自己 replaces 你 as the object.
我们介绍自己吧。
Let's introduce ourselves.
wǒmen jièshào zìjǐ ba
With plural subjects, 自己 still works for the shared reflexive meaning.
他不太相信自己。
He doesn't quite believe in himself.
tā bú tài xiāngxìn zìjǐ
自己 can also appear after verbs of feeling or belief, not only physical actions.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: subject + verb + 自己 (zìjǐ). For example, 我伤了自己 (wǒ shāng le zìjǐ) means 'I hurt myself.' 他批评自己 (tā pīpíng zìjǐ) means 'He criticizes himself.' You can also put a pronoun before 自己 for emphasis: 我自己 (wǒ zìjǐ) means 'I myself' or 'me, myself.' Compare 我看了自己 (wǒ kàn le zìjǐ) 'I looked at myself' with 我看了你 (wǒ kàn le nǐ) 'I looked at you.' The presence of 自己 signals that the object is the same as the subject.
When to use it
Use 自己 when the action returns to the doer. If you say 我伤了你 (wǒ shāng le nǐ), you hurt another person. If you say 我伤了自己 (wǒ shāng le zìjǐ), you hurt yourself. The verb does not change; only the object changes. 自己 is also common in set phrases like 照顾自己 (zhàogù zìjǐ) 'take care of oneself' and 介绍自己 (jièshào zìjǐ) 'introduce oneself.' In longer sentences, 自己 usually refers back to the subject: 小明觉得他害了自己 (Xiǎomíng juéde tā hài le zìjǐ) 'Xiaoming feels he harmed himself.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你怎么了？你伤了自己吗？
What happened to you? Did you hurt yourself?nǐ zěnme le? nǐ shāng le zìjǐ ma?对，我切菜的时候伤了自己。
Yes, I hurt myself while cutting vegetables.duì, wǒ qiē cài de shíhou shāng le zìjǐ你要小心，也要好好照顾自己。
You need to be careful, and take good care of yourself.nǐ yào xiǎoxīn, yě yào hǎohāo zhàogù zìjǐ谢谢，我会照顾自己。
Thanks, I will take care of myself.xièxie, wǒ huì zhàogù zìjǐA little context goes a long way
自己 (zìjǐ) is neutral and very common in everyday Mandarin. It can sound slightly emphatic when added after a pronoun, as in 我自己来 (wǒ zìjǐ lái) 'I'll do it myself,' which can politely signal that you do not need help. In formal writing, 自己 still works, but you may also see 自身 (zìshēn) in fixed expressions such as 保护自身安全 (bǎohù zìshēn ānquán) 'protect one's own safety.' For elementary conversation, 自己 is the natural choice.
One thing to watch for
Learners often translate 'I hurt myself' as 我伤了我 (wǒ shāng le wǒ), repeating the subject pronoun as the object.
Try this instead: Use 自己 (zìjǐ) instead of repeating the pronoun: 我伤了自己 (wǒ shāng le zìjǐ). If you say 我伤了我, it sounds like you are pointing to a separate 'me,' and it is not the normal reflexive pattern.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She sees herself' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
她看见了自己。 (tā kànjiàn le zìjǐ)
自己 marks that the person seen is the same as the subject 她. You could also say 她看到了自己 (tā kàndào le zìjǐ) with a similar meaning.
2What is the difference between 我介绍了你 (wǒ jièshào le nǐ) and 我介绍了自己 (wǒ jièshào le zìjǐ)?
Show a sample answer
我介绍了你 means 'I introduced you,' while 我介绍了自己 means 'I introduced myself.'
The object changes the meaning. 你 refers to another person; 自己 refers back to the speaker.
3Fill in the blank: 你应该相信____。 (nǐ yīnggāi xiāngxìn ____.)
Show a sample answer
自己 (zìjǐ)
The sentence means 'You should believe in yourself.' 自己 is needed because the person believing and the person believed in are the same.
When the subject and object are the same person, add 自己 (zìjǐ) after the verb instead of repeating a pronoun like 我 or 你. Compare 我伤了你 'I hurt you' with 我伤了自己 'I hurt myself.'
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