Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Self: сам & себя

  1. #1
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    15
    Rep Power
    11

    Self: сам & себя

    Ok, in response to Doninphxaz's point I started a new thread - I need a more thorough explanation anyway.

    So, as far as I see it you use себя when you are the both the subject and the object of the sentence. So: она говорила о себе. This makes sense, and you can obviously use себя in much the same way with any of the other cases (excluding the nominative).

    But I can't really understand where сам fits in... I've been told that it effectively means "by oneself" or "on (my) own", but then wouldn't с собой mean the same thing?

    If not, I can appreciate when you'd use сам сама само сами, but when would you use all the other cases (i.e. самого самой самим самому самых etc) in a sentence? I think I just need a few examples and then I'll understand because I had a similar problem with all the весь words but seeing how they were used really helped.

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    13
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Self: сам & себя

    Quote Originally Posted by happyclogs
    Ok, in response to Doninphxaz's point I started a new thread - I need a more thorough explanation anyway.

    So, as far as I see it you use себя when you are the both the subject and the object of the sentence. So: она говорила о себе. This makes sense, and you can obviously use себя in much the same way with any of the other cases (excluding the nominative).

    But I can't really understand where сам fits in... I've been told that it effectively means "by oneself" or "on (my) own", but then wouldn't с собой mean the same thing?

    If not, I can appreciate when you'd use сам сама само сами, but when would you use all the other cases (i.e. самого самой самим самому самых etc) in a sentence? I think I just need a few examples and then I'll understand because I had a similar problem with all the весь words but seeing how they were used really helped.

    Thank you.
    "С собой" is rather a different thing... It means "With oneself(literally)" - Example: Я взял своё ружьё с собой - I took my gun along
    1) Ей пришлось самой идти туда - She had to go there by herself...
    2)Он вредит самому себе.. - He harms himself
    3)Вам нужно перестать врать самим себе - You should stop lying to yourselves.
    4)Он не слышит самого себя He can't hear himself
    5) Самых - has nothing common with all the previous... It's used for forming the superlatives...
    For example: Это - одно из самых красивых зданих в мире - This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world...

  3. #3
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    15
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: Self: сам & себя

    Ah, Ok...

    I always thought that in those examples -
    2)Он вредит самому себе.. - He harms himself
    3)Вам нужно перестать врать самим себе - You should stop lying to yourselves.
    4)Он не слышит самого себя He can't hear himself
    - you would only use себе (or whatever case ending) by itself. So: Он вредит себе - He harms himself. Is that not correct? What does the самому add to the meaning; is it necessary?

    Also could you explain
    1) Ей пришлось самой идти туда - She had to go there by herself...
    What case is the samoi in? I don't really understand this one...

  4. #4
    Подающий надежды оратор
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    13
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: Self: сам & себя

    Quote Originally Posted by happyclogs
    Ah, Ok...

    I always thought that in those examples -
    2)Он вредит самому себе.. - He harms himself
    3)Вам нужно перестать врать самим себе - You should stop lying to yourselves.
    4)Он не слышит самого себя He can't hear himself
    - you would only use себе (or whatever case ending) by itself. So: Он вредит себе - He harms himself. Is that not correct? What does the самому add to the meaning; is it necessary?

    Also could you explain
    1) Ей пришлось самой идти туда - She had to go there by herself...
    What case is the samoi in? I don't really understand this one...

    Он вредит себе - is correct as well.. But in this case we use "самому" in order to emphasize that not anybody else by HE harms himself.
    "Cамой' - means "by herself...
    Ей пришлось самой сделать это упражнение - She had to do this exercise on her own...

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 49
    Last Post: October 31st, 2013, 04:06 PM
  2. Если ты считаешь себя...
    By alex410 in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: July 28th, 2010, 12:18 AM
  3. Себя
    By Zubr in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: June 30th, 2010, 12:34 PM
  4. Проверьте себя на русскость
    By Basil77 in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 30
    Last Post: November 25th, 2006, 04:26 AM
  5. Я решила проверить себя
    By Moryachka in forum Translate This!
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: April 12th, 2005, 02:43 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary