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inductor
22 Feb 2017

  • Japanisch
  • Englisch (US)
  • Spanisch (Spanien)
  • Englisch (UK)
Frage über Englisch (US)

Can anybody tell me what's the difference between oneself and by oneself(e.g. do it myself) and when you can/cannot use them?

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Lucas_14
22 Feb 2017

  • Englisch (UK)
  • Portugiesisch (Brasilien)
  • Englisch (US)

When you say someone "did something themselves", you're basically trying to say that whatever they did was great and, surprisingly, they did it alone. And when you say "by oneself" there's no extra nuance to your message, you're just saying they did something on their own. But at the end of the day, they both mean the same thing ^^

igmatic
22 Feb 2017

  • Englisch (US)

The phrases alone have different meanings but when in certain contexts they can mean the same thing
Like oneself means like you and yourself and is referring to one individual
But by oneself means that that person is alone and by themselves

jamesavery98
22 Feb 2017

  • Englisch (US)

Another way of saying it is on one's own. (He rode a bike on his own today!) Instance where only by one's self is correct: to be (all) by one's self. (without the accompaniment of someone else) Are you eating all by yourself? I would like to just be by myself right now. He is delivering mail by himself (no one else is helping him) I looked at the question myself and couldn't solve it (meaning you did it in person) I looked at the question by myself and couldn't solve it (implying instead of having someone help you, you tried the question by yourself) For example, if someone is training you or teaching you something, they might say: Now try doing it by yourself/on your own. >Try the cream on yourself, you'll see how well it works to rid you of your wrinkles. I took the picture myself (In person/I was the one who took the photo) vs I took the photo by myself (I took the photo without anyone else's assistance/w/o anyone else contributing to the taking of the photo)

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ukeruchan
23 Feb 2017

  • Japanisch

この質問をしてくださりありがとうございます。勉強になりました。

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slyjester
23 Feb 2017

  • Englisch (US)

Actually, I agree only mostly with the current answers. The way I see it is, when someone says, "I did it myself," they're highlighting mostly that it was they who did it. But, when someone says, "I did it by myself," it indicates that we're talking about an action that typically requires multiple people, but that the speaker was able to complete alone nonetheless.

Othni
23 Feb 2017

  • Englisch (US)

"by oneself" is more secluded. "I climbed that obstacle myself" in this instance, it means no one helped you physically up, but they could have been there beside you, cheering you on, etc.
"I climbed that obstacle by myself." implies that no one was even with you. You did it without anybody there to even witness.

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Can anybody tell me what's the difference between oneself and by oneself(e.g. do it myself) and when you can/cannot use them?
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