Reflexive pronouns are pronouns that end with self or selves. They are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or thing. In simple words, they mean “oneself”.
Reflexive pronouns ਉਹ pronouns ਹਨ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਅੰਤ ਵਿੱਚ self ਜਾਂ selves ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਰਥ “ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ” ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
Examples: myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves.
Reflexive Pronouns vs Emphasizing Pronouns
| Reflexive Pronouns (English) | Emphasizing Pronouns (English) |
|---|---|
| Meaning: Used for “oneself / ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ”. | Meaning: Used for “myself, himself, ਆਪ ਹੀ” to give stress. |
| Use: When subject and object are the same person. Ex: Ram ruined himself (Correct) Ram ruined Ram (Incorrect) | Use: Not verb’s object, but used with prepositions or to stress subject. Ex: He lives by himself. |
| Subject Rule: Cannot be subject. Myself saw it (Incorrect) → I saw it (Correct) | Subject Rule: Also not subject, but can emphasize subject. Myself saw it (Incorrect) → I myself saw it (Correct) |
Reflexive pronouns mean the subject does something to itself.
Reflexive pronouns ਦੱਸਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ subject ਨੇ ਕੰਮ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਉੱਤੇ ਕੀਤਾ।
- She wasted herself. → She harmed her own self.
- They quarrelled among themselves. → They fought with each other.
- You burnt yourself. → You hurt yourself.
Emphasizing pronouns are used to give stress to the subject.
Emphasizing pronouns subject ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।
- She herself wasted her property. → She alone did it.
- They themselves asked me to do it. → They personally asked.
- I myself saw her singing. → I personally saw it.
Reflexive = action on self.(ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਉੱਤੇ ਕੰਮ।)
Emphasizing = extra stress on subject. (subject ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਦੇਣਾ।)
Rule (1): Reflexive Pronouns
| Subject (Nominative) | Correct Reflexive | Wrong Forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | Myself | Mineself |
| We | Ourselves | Ourself, Oursself |
| You (Sing.) | Yourself | Yourssellf |
| You (Pl.) | Yourselves | Yoursselves |
| He | Himself | Himselves, Hisself, Hisselves |
| She | Herself | Hersselves, Herselves |
| It | Itself | Itsself, Itselves |
| They | Themselves | Themself, Theirself, Theirselves |
Usage Rules (ਵਰਤੋਂ ਦੇ ਨਿਯਮ)
- Masculine words (ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਲਿੰਗ) → Ram, Krishna, boy, father, brother → himself ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਲਿੰਗ → himself
- Feminine words (ਇਸਤਰੀ ਲਿੰਗ) → Sita, Radha, girl, mother, sister → herself ਇਸਤਰੀ ਲਿੰਗ → herself
- Common gender words (ਸਾਂਝੇ ਲਿੰਗ) → doctor, teacher, engineer →
- Singular → himself / herself
- Plural → themselves
- Word “One” → use oneself One → oneself
- Indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone, anybody, nobody) → use himself (or herself for female). Indefinite pronouns → himself/herself
Note (i): Child / Baby (Gender Unknown)
If gender is not known → use itself. ਜੇ ਲਿੰਗ ਪਤਾ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ → itself ਵਰਤੋ।
Examples:
- The baby cried itself → ਬੱਚਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਰੋਇਆ
- It was beautiful → ਇਹ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸੀ
- The baby has broken its leg → ਬੱਚੇ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਟੰਗ ਤੋੜ ਲਈ
Note (ii): Subject = Object
If subject and object are the same → reflexive pronoun is used as object. ਜੇ subject ਅਤੇ object ਇੱਕੋ ਹੀ ਹੋਣ → reflexive pronoun object ਵਜੋਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Correct Examples:
- I hurt myself → ਮੈਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- We hurt ourselves → ਅਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- You hurt yourself (Singular) → ਤੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- You hurt yourselves (Plural) → ਤੁਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- He hurts himself → ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰਦਾ ਹੈ
- She hurts herself → ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰਦੀ ਹੈ
- The dog hurts itself → ਕੁੱਤੇ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- They hurt themselves → ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰੀ
- One hurts oneself→ ਕੋਈ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰਦਾ ਹੈ
- Everyone hurts himself → ਹਰ ਕੋਈ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਟ ਮਾਰਦਾ ਹੈ
Wrong Examples:
- I hurt mineself
- We hurt ourself
- He hurts himselfs
- She hurts herselfs
- The dog hurts itselves
- They hurt themself / theirselves
- One hurts oneselfs
- Everyone hurts hisself
Reflexive pronouns are used as the object of a verb when the subject and object are the same person or thing.
Reflexive pronoun verb ਦੇ object ਵਜੋਂ ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਜਦੋਂ subject ਅਤੇ object ਇੱਕੋ ਹੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਜਾਂ ਚੀਜ਼ ਹੋਵੇ।
Example:
- I hurt myself → subject = I, object = myself (same person)
- She blamed herself → subject = she, object = herself (same person)
Rule (2): Reflexive Pronouns Not Used
Reflexive Pronouns ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ
If the subject and object are two different persons, we do not use a reflexive pronoun. Instead, we use the objective case pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them).
ਜੇ subject ਅਤੇ object ਦੋ ਵੱਖਰੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਹੋਣ, ਤਾਂ reflexive pronoun ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ। ਇਸ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ objective case pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them) ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Examples:
- He knows me (Correct) → Two different persons (He ≠ me)ਦੋ ਵੱਖਰੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ (He ≠ me)
- He knows myself (Incorrect) → Wrong, because subject and object are not the same.ਗਲਤ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ subject ਅਤੇ object ਇੱਕੋ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ।
- I love you (Correct) → Two different persons (I ≠ you)ਦੋ ਵੱਖਰੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ (I ≠ you)
- I love yourself (×) → Wrong, because reflexive pronoun is not needed here.ਗਲਤ, ਇੱਥੇ reflexive pronoun ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ।
Rule (3): Reflexive Pronouns with Certain Verbs
ਕੁਝ ਕਿਰਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ Reflexive Pronouns
After some verbs, reflexive pronouns must be used. These verbs are: enjoy, pride, absent, present, introduce, busy, avail, address, plume, hurt, cheat, prostrate, resign, apply, acquit, assert.
ਕੁਝ ਕਿਰਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ reflexive pronoun ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਕਿਰਿਆਵਾਂ ਹਨ: enjoy, pride, absent, present, introduce, busy, avail, address, plume, hurt, cheat, prostrate, resign, apply, acquit, assert.
Examples:
- He enjoyed himself in the party (Correct)
- Mr. Pathak prides himself on his son’s result (Correct)
- The students must avail themselves of their opportunity (Correct)
Verbs Where Reflexive Pronouns Are Not Used
With certain verbs, we do not use reflexive pronouns. Instead, the verb is used directly without myself, yourself, himself, etc.
ਕੁਝ ਕਿਰਿਆਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ reflexive pronoun ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ: open, sell, wash, dress, undress, shave, concentrate, feel, hurry.
Examples:
- The door opened (Correct) → ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ਾ ਖੁਲ ਗਿਆ
- He shaves on Sunday (Correct) → ਉਹ ਐਤਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ੇਵ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ
Special Note
Sometimes reflexive pronouns are used with verbs like dress, shave to emphasize the subject.
ਕਈ ਵਾਰ dress ਅਤੇ shave ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਕਿਰਿਆਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ reflexive pronoun ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਜੋ subject ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਨਾਲ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਸਕੇ।
Examples:
- Aditi is old enough to dress herself now → ਅਦਿਤੀ ਹੁਣ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਕੱਪੜੇ ਪਾ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ
- The barber shaves all the people who don’t shave themselves → ਹਜਾਮ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਸਭ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ੇਵ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ
Rule (4): Reflexive Pronouns Not Used as Subject
Reflexive Pronouns Subject ਵਜੋਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) are never used as the subject of a sentence. They can only be used as objects or for emphasis, but not as the subject.
Reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself ਆਦਿ) ਨੂੰ sentence ਦੇ subject ਵਜੋਂ ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ। ਇਹ ਸਿਰਫ਼ object ਵਜੋਂ ਜਾਂ emphasis ਲਈ ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ, subject ਵਜੋਂ ਨਹੀਂ।
Examples:
- I am Mr. A. K. Thakur → Correct
- Myself is Mr. A. K. Thakur → Wrong
- Binay and you are friends → Correct
- Binay and yourself are friends → Wrong
Rule (5): Reflexive Pronouns with Apostrophe ’s
Reflexive Pronouns ਨਾਲ Apostrophe ’s ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) never take apostrophe ’s. Instead, we use Possessive Adjective + own (my own, his own, her own, etc.).
Reflexive pronoun ਨਾਲ ’s ਨਹੀਂ ਲਗਦਾ। ਇਸ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ Possessive Adjective + own ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Examples
- He sold his own car. (Correct)
- He sold himself’s car. (Incorrect)
- I have painted my own room. (Correct)
- I have painted myself’s room. (Incorrect)
Reflexive pronoun + ’s = always wrong.
Use Possessive + own instead.
Reflexive pronoun + ’s = ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਗਲਤ। ਇਸ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ Possessive + own ਵਰਤੋ।
Rule (6): Reflexive Pronouns with Verb + Preposition
Verb + Preposition ਨਾਲ Reflexive Pronoun
When a sentence has Verb + Preposition, and the subject and the object of the preposition are the same person/thing, we use a reflexive pronoun after the preposition, not an objective pronoun.
ਜੇ sentence ਵਿੱਚ Verb + Preposition ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ subject ਅਤੇ preposition ਦਾ object ਇੱਕੋ ਹੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ/ਚੀਜ਼ ਹੋਵੇ, ਤਾਂ preposition ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ reflexive pronoun ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਨਾ ਕਿ objective pronoun।
Examples:
- My mother must look after herself → Correct
- My mother must look after her → Wrong
- The saint often talks to himself → Correct
- The saint often talks to him → Wrong
Different Persons/Things
If the subject and the preposition’s object are two different persons/things, then we use the objective pronoun, not reflexive.
ਜੇ subject ਅਤੇ preposition ਦਾ object ਦੋ ਵੱਖਰੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ/ਚੀਜ਼ਾਂ ਹੋਣ, ਤਾਂ objective pronoun ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Examples:
- The principal distributed the books among them (Correct)
- The principal distributed the books among themselves (Incorrect)
- Guriya depends on you and me (Correct)
- Guriya depends on yourself and myself (Incorrect)
Special Note
If the subject and preposition’s object are the same person/thing, but the preposition shows place/position, then we do not use reflexive pronoun. We use the objective pronoun instead.
ਜੇ subject ਅਤੇ preposition ਦਾ object ਇੱਕੋ ਹੀ ਹੋਵੇ ਪਰ preposition ਥਾਂ (place) ਦੱਸਦਾ ਹੋਵੇ, ਤਾਂ reflexive pronoun ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ, ਸਿਰਫ਼ objective pronoun ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Examples:
- We put the baby between us (Correct)
- We put the baby between ourselves (Incorrect)
Rule (7): By + Reflexive Pronoun
By + Reflexive Pronoun is used to mean alone, without help, or without company.
By + Reflexive Pronoun ਦਾ ਅਰਥ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ — ਅਕੇਲਾ, ਬਿਨਾਂ ਮਦਦ, ਜਾਂ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਸਾਥੀ ਦੇ।
Examples
- He likes to spend time by himself. (= alone)
ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਅਕੇਲਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਬਿਤਾਉਣਾ ਪਸੰਦ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ। (= alone) - She can do all the work by herself. (= without help)
ਉਹ ਸਾਰਾ ਕੰਮ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। (= without help)
- Note (i): Avail of is not used in passive voice.
Active: I availed myself of an offer. (Correct)
Passive: An offer was availed of by me. (Incorrect) - Note (ii): Enjoy usually takes an object, but when an object is present, a reflexive pronoun must also be used.
We enjoyed the picnic ourselves last week. (Correct)
We enjoyed the picnic last week. (Incorrect) - Note (iii): Self as a noun
He cares for nothing but self.
He thinks much of self. - Note (iv): Emphasis with self
I saw the Chief Minister himself.
I spoke to the princess herself.
Rule (8): Reflexive Pronouns Not Used After Certain Verbs
ਕੁਝ Verbs ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ Reflexive Pronoun ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ
Reflexive Pronouns are not used after certain verbs like keep, conceal, qualify, spread, rest, stay.
Reflexive Pronoun ਕੁਝ verbs (keep, conceal, qualify, spread, rest, stay) ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ।
Examples / ਉਦਾਹਰਨਾਂ
- I stayed away from my class. (Correct)
- I stayed myself away from my class. (Incorrect)
- He qualified in the test. (Correct)
- He qualified himself in the test. (Incorrect)
- She kept away from the show. (Correct)
- She kept herself away from the show. (Incorrect)