Quick answer: Use themselves when referring to a plural group of people. Use themself only when referring to a single person whose gender is unknown, unspecified, or non-binary (the singular “they”). In Hindi, both translate to “खुद” (khud) or “वे स्वयं” (ve swayam), but English grammar strictly separates plural from singular reflexive usage.
Many English learners and native speakers alike stumble when deciding between “themself” and “themselves,” especially when searching for the “themself or themselves meaning in hindi” to bridge their linguistic understanding. The confusion stems from the recent, widespread revival of the singular “they,” which formally reintroduced “themself” into modern dictionaries after centuries of dormancy. However, the plural “themselves” remains the absolute standard and safest choice whenever you are referring to multiple people.
| Term | Meaning / When to use | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Themselves | Plural reflexive pronoun. Use when the subject is plural (e.g., they, the students, the managers). | The students prepared themselves for the final examination. |
| Themself | Singular reflexive pronoun. Use only when the subject is a singular, gender-neutral “they” or an unknown person. | If a caller leaves a message, ask them to identify themself. |
When to use “themselves”
“Themselves” is the standard, universally accepted reflexive pronoun for plural subjects. According to Wikipedia’s entry on Themselves, it is used when the object of a verb or preposition refers back to a plural subject previously mentioned in the sentence. If the subject performing the action is more than one person, and the action reflects back onto that same group, “themselves” is the only grammatically correct choice. This rule applies uniformly across all tenses and sentence structures. Whether the sentence is in the active voice (“They built the house themselves”) or the passive voice (“The documents were signed by the directors themselves”), the plural reflexive pronoun remains constant.
In Hindi, this plural usage aligns perfectly with “वे स्वयं” (ve swayam) or “उन्होंने खुद” (unhone khud), clearly indicating a plural subject performing an action on their own behalf. Understanding this parallel can be incredibly helpful for bilingual writers who need to map Hindi grammatical concepts directly to English syntax.
Here are concrete examples of correct usage in real-world contexts:
- Professional email: “The hiring managers will review the applications and submit their feedback themselves by Friday.”
- Resume bullet point: “Developed a new onboarding process that allowed new hires to train themselves efficiently without constant supervision.”
- Everyday text message: “They finally bought themselves a new car after waiting for the promotion.”
Notice that in every instance, the subject (“managers,” “new hires,” “they”) represents multiple individuals. Using “themself” in any of these sentences would be a glaring grammatical error that immediately undermines the writer’s credibility.
When to use “themself”
“Themself” is the reflexive pronoun specifically designated for the singular “they.” As noted in Wikipedia’s article on Themself, this form is used when referring to a single individual whose gender is non-binary, unknown, or irrelevant to the context. While historically rare and often flagged by older grammar checkers, major modern style guides, including the APA Publication Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style, now explicitly accept and endorse it for gender-neutral singular antecedents. This shift represents a significant evolution in the English language, prioritizing inclusivity and precision over outdated prescriptive rules.
In Hindi, the singular respectful or gender-neutral “वे” (ve) can be used, translating to “वे स्वयं” (ve swayam) or “खुद” (khud). This perfectly mirrors the singular, gender-neutral nature of the English “themself,” providing a clear conceptual bridge for Hindi speakers learning this nuanced English rule. Just as Hindi uses the same form for plural and respectful singular, English is evolving to use “they/them/themself” for both plural groups and singular individuals whose gender is not specified.
Here are concrete examples of correct usage in real-world contexts:
- Professional email: “Please ensure each employee updates their own contact profile themself before the end of the quarter.”
- Resume bullet point: “Managed a decentralized project where each team member could pace themself according to their individual strengths.”
- Everyday text message: “Someone left their umbrella here at the cafe; I hope they come back for it themself.”
In each of these examples, the subject (“each employee,” “each team member,” “someone”) is grammatically singular, even though the pronoun “their” is used to avoid assuming gender. Therefore, the reflexive form must also be singular: “themself.”
How to remember the difference
The most effective mnemonic for this distinction is the “S” rule: The “S” in themselves stands for “Several.” If you are talking about several people, you absolutely need the “s” at the end of the word. If you are talking about just one person (a singular antecedent), you drop the “s” to make it “themself.”
Another helpful trick is the substitution test. If you can replace the subject with “he” or “she,” the reflexive should be “himself” or “herself.” If you are intentionally using “they” to avoid specifying gender, ask yourself: “Am I talking about one person or many?” One person equals “themself.” Many people equals “themselves.”
As a veteran copy editor who has corrected this exact mistake in thousands of manuscripts, I can share an editor-level insight that beginners often miss. Writers frequently try to sound overly formal by using “themselves” with a singular indefinite pronoun like “everyone,” “anyone,” or “each student.” For example, they will write, “Everyone should prepare themselves for the interview.” While this is widely tolerated in casual speech, it is technically a number disagreement. “Everyone” is grammatically singular. Therefore, “Everyone should prepare themself” is the most grammatically consistent choice in formal writing. If “themself” still feels awkward to your ear, the best editorial fix is to rephrase the sentence entirely to avoid the reflexive pronoun: “All candidates should prepare for the interview.”
Common mistakes and exceptions
Even experienced writers fall into specific traps when navigating reflexive pronouns. Being aware of these common pitfalls will instantly elevate the precision of your writing and protect your professional reputation.
Mistake 1: Using “themselves” for a singular, known-gender subject.
- Incorrect: “John hurt themselves while moving the heavy furniture.”
- Correction: “John hurt himself while moving the heavy furniture.”
- Why it happens: Writers sometimes overcorrect in an attempt to be gender-inclusive, but if the subject’s gender is known and singular, standard grammar dictates the use of “himself” or “herself.”
Mistake 2: Using “themself” for a plural subject.
- Incorrect: “The dogs fed themself after we left the house for the weekend.”
- Correction: “The dogs fed themselves after we left the house for the weekend.”
- Why it happens: This is usually a simple typo or a fundamental misunderstanding of the singular “they” rule. Plural subjects always demand the plural reflexive “themselves.”
Mistake 3: Inventing the non-standard word “theirselves.”
- Incorrect: “They decided to do the project theirselves.”
- Correction: “They decided to do the project themselves.”
- Why it happens: “Theirselves” is a non-standard, dialectal, or grammatically incorrect form. It is never acceptable in standard written English, regardless of the context or regional dialect.
US vs. UK Differences: Both American and British English traditionally rejected “themself” for centuries, favoring “themselves” even for singular antecedents to avoid awkwardness. However, UK English has been slightly more receptive to singular “they” constructions in formal editing for a longer period than US English. Today, both variants largely accept “themself” in gender-neutral contexts, though some strict, traditionalist style guides still mandate rephrasing the sentence to avoid “themself” entirely rather than adopting the newer form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “themself” officially a real word? Yes, “themself” is a fully recognized word in modern English dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary. It is specifically designated as the reflexive form of the singular “they,” validating its use in contemporary, professional writing.
What is the exact themself or themselves meaning in hindi? Both English words translate to “खुद” (khud) or “स्वयं” (swayam) in Hindi. However, “themselves” aligns with the plural “वे स्वयं” (ve swayam), while “themself” aligns with the respectful or gender-neutral singular “वे” (ve), which also translates to “वे स्वयं” but functions grammatically as a singular entity in context.
Can I use “themselves” for a single person in formal writing? In informal English, yes, singular “they” often takes “themselves” (e.g., “Someone hurt themselves”). However, in formal, precise writing, “themself” is the grammatically consistent choice for a singular antecedent, or you should rephrase the sentence to avoid the reflexive pronoun altogether for maximum clarity.
Why do some grammar checkers still flag “themself” as an error? Older grammar-checking algorithms were programmed with rigid, traditional rules that did not account for the singular “they.” If your software flags “themself,” you can safely ignore the warning, provided the subject of your sentence is indeed a singular, gender-neutral, or unknown person.
Kevin Williams holds a Master’s degree in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and brings over 15 years of experience to the field of lexical analysis and English word comparisons. His fascination with the nuances and subtleties of the English language began during an undergraduate project, which inspired him to further delve into the intricacies of semantic variances and etymological roots. His expertise lies in breaking down complex word pairings and explaining their evolution, especially in modern vernacular and historical usage. Kevin is particularly interested in how context and culture shape word meanings and their usage in diverse settings. He conducts in-depth analyses and writes engaging, accessible articles and comparative studies on word origins, synonyms, antonyms, and idiomatic expressions for CompareMyWords. His contributions aim to enlighten readers with a greater understanding of language intricacies.