Oneself
/wʌnˈsɛlf/
Definitions
Used to refer to the person who is the subject of a verb's action.
/wʌnˈsɛlf/
Refers to the person speaking or being spoken about
One must take care of oneself.
💡 Simply: It's like saying 'me' or 'you', but when the person doing something is also the person it's being done to. Like, 'You should be kind to yourself' is the same as 'One should be kind to oneself.'
👶 For kids: It means 'me' or 'you' when you're talking about yourself.
More Examples
The best way to learn is by challenging oneself.
She should be proud of oneself for completing the task.
How It's Used
"One should always be true to oneself."
"To know oneself is the beginning of wisdom."
Idioms & expressions
be true to oneself
To act in accordance with one's own values and beliefs; to be authentic.
"It's important to be true to oneself and not compromise your principles."
by oneself
Alone; without any other people.
"She enjoys spending time by herself, reading a book."
find oneself
To discover or become aware of one's own identity, capabilities, or values, often after a period of change or self-reflection.
"After traveling the world, she finally found herself and what she really wanted to do."
From Old English *ān* ("one") + *self*. Used as a reflexive pronoun.
Used since Old English times as a reflexive pronoun, becoming more common as the English language evolved.
Memory tip
Think of it as 'one' referring to 'self'.
Word Origin
"one + self"