自己自己 zìjǐ does three jobs: it says someone did something by themselves, that an action turns back on the doer, and — with 的的 de — that something is one’s own.
1Quick Reference
The reflexive pronoun in Chinese is very easy — just put 自己自己 zìjǐ after any personal pronoun. Unlike English (myself, yourself, himself…), 自己自己 zìjǐ itself never changes.
| Pronoun | + 自己自己 zìjǐ | Meaning |
|---|
| 我我 wǒ | 我自己我自己 wǒ zìjǐ | myself |
| 你你 nǐ | 你自己你自己 nǐ zìjǐ | yourself |
| 他他 tā | 他自己他自己 tā zìjǐ | himself |
| 她她 tā | 她自己她自己 tā zìjǐ | herself |
| 它它 tā | 它自己它自己 tā zìjǐ | itself |
| 我們我们 wǒmen | 我們自己我们自己 wǒmen zìjǐ | ourselves |
| 你們你们 nǐmen | 你們自己你们自己 nǐmen zìjǐ | yourselves |
| 他們他们 tāmen | 他們自己他们自己 tāmen zìjǐ | themselves |
2Doing Something by Yourself — Subject + 自己自己 zìjǐ + Verb
Put 自己自己 zìjǐ right after the subject and before the verb to say someone does it by themselves — without help, or personally.
他們自己在家做飯。他们自己在家做饭。
They cook at home by themselves.
你自己說的話還記得嗎？你自己说的话还记得吗？
Do you remember what you said yourself?
不用幫我，我自己來。不用帮我，我自己来。
You don’t need to help me. I’ll do it myself.
Good to Know
我自己來我自己来 wǒ zìjǐ lái is an everyday phrase — you’ll hear it at the dinner table when someone offers to serve you food or pour your drink.
3Doing Something to Yourself — Verb + 自己自己 zìjǐ
When 自己自己 zìjǐ comes after the verb, it is the object: the action comes back to the subject, just like “myself / yourself” in English.
你要愛自己。你要爱自己。
You need to love yourself.
你看看你自己！你看看你自己！
Take a look at yourself!
4Your Own — 自己的自己的 zìjǐ de + Noun
Add 的的 de to get “one’s own”.
我自己的工作我自己做。我自己的工作我自己做。
I’ll do my own work by myself.
每個人都有自己的房間。每个人都有自己的房间。
Everyone has their own room.
自己的事情自己做。自己的事情自己做。
Do your own things yourself.
📌 Key Point
In the last example, 自己自己 zìjǐ stands alone without a pronoun. It then means “oneself” in general — a handy way to state a rule for everyone.
Good to Know
自己人自己人 zìjǐrén means “one of us” — a friend treated like family. People say it to put a guest at ease.
別客氣，都是自己人。别客气，都是自己人。
Don’t be so polite — we’re all family here.
5Common Mistakes
❌他很喜歡他。他很喜欢他。
✅他很喜歡自己。他很喜欢自己。
If the object is the same person as the subject, use 自己自己 zìjǐ. With a second 他他 tā, the sentence means he likes some other man.
❌自己我做。自己我做。
✅我自己做。我自己做。
自己自己 zìjǐ comes after the subject, not before it.
6Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01She drove here by herself.
她是自己開車來的。她是自己开车来的。
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02Everyone has their own phone.
每個人都有自己的手機。每个人都有自己的手机。
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03Did you make this yourself?
這是你自己做的嗎？这是你自己做的吗？
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04I wash my own clothes.
我自己洗衣服。我自己洗衣服。
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05Don’t only think about yourself.
別只想自己。别只想自己。
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06This is your own business.
這是你自己的事情。这是你自己的事情。
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07The kids went to school by themselves.
孩子們自己去學校了。孩子们自己去学校了。
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08Be a little nicer to yourself.
你要對自己好一點。你要对自己好一点。
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