1. used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to something previously mentioned as the subject
（用作動詞或介系詞的受詞）指代前面提到的主語本身
The cat is washing itself.
那隻貓正在給自己洗澡。
The company prides itself on excellent customer service.
這家公司以其卓越的客戶服務為榮。
Itself Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
itself
pronoun
快速理解
What does "Itself" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Itself"?
「itself」是一個反身代名詞，主要用於指代句子中已提及的同一事物，以加強語氣或表示動作作用於自身。
- 1
反身用法
EN: The cat washed itself.
翻譯: 那隻貓自己洗澡。
- 2
強調用法
EN: The building itself is quite old.
翻譯: 這棟建築物本身相當古老。
- 3
表示「獨自」或「自動」
EN: The door closed by itself.
翻譯: 門自己關上了。
- 4
抽象概念或事物的指代
EN: The problem will resolve itself in time.
翻譯: 這個問題會隨著時間自行解決。
小提醒：注意「itself」只用於指代單數、無生命的事物或動物。指代人時，男性用「himself」，女性用「herself」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Itself" in English）
How to pronounce "Itself" in English?"Itself" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Itself" from YouTube Videos
Jessica Livingston - What's Different about "Unicorns"
Y Combinator
“drive by itself is not enough, though. you have to be driven to work on this particular company.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Itself"?How does "Itself" change by context?
2. used to emphasize a particular thing, animal, etc.
用於強調某特定事物、動物等本身
The house itself is quite small, but the garden is huge.
房子本身相當小，但花園很大。
We don't need more advice; the plan itself is the problem.
我們不需要更多建議；問題在於計畫本身。
3. used after 'in', 'by', etc. to mean 'alone' or 'without help'
用於 'in'、'by' 等詞之後，表示「單獨地」或「無需幫助地」
The door seemed to open by itself.
門好像自己打開了。
The problem should resolve itself in a few days.
這個問題應該過幾天就會自行解決。
4. its normal or typical self
其正常或典型的狀態
After a good rest, he was soon himself again.
好好休息後，他很快就恢復正常了。
The city, with the tourists gone, returned to itself.
遊客離開後，這座城市恢復了它原本的樣貌。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Itself"?How to make natural sentences with "Itself"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| itself | （指代前面提到的單數中性名詞或事物）它自己 | The cat cleaned itself. (貓把自己清理乾淨了。) |
| by itself | 獨自地；自動地 | The door closed by itself. (門自己關上了。) |
| in itself | 就其本身而言；本質上 | The idea is good in itself. (這個想法本身是好的。) |
| of itself | 自行；自動地 | The machine will start of itself at the set time. (機器會在設定的時間自行啟動。) |
用法說明
How is "Itself" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Itself"?
itself doing vs itself to do
- "itself doing" 通常用於描述一個自發的、正在進行的動作或狀態，強調過程或事實本身。
- "itself to do" 則常出現在「動詞 + itself to + 動詞」的結構中，表示將自身引導、應用或奉獻於某個目的或行動，帶有更強的意圖性或功能性。
- 在「by itself」這類片語後，通常接動名詞 (doing) 來描述自動發生的過程。 EN: The problem solved itself by restarting the system. 翻譯: 問題透過重啟系統自行解決了。
EN:The organization dedicated itself to help the community.
翻譯:該組織致力於幫助社區。
總結建議
一般情況下，描述自發過程用 "itself doing"，表達意圖或目的時則用 "itself to do"。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Itself" and similar words?How to choose "Itself" vs alternatives?
itself vs its
"itself" 是反身代名詞，強調主詞自身；"its" 是所有格代名詞，表示所屬關係。
itself vs himself
"itself" 指代事物或動物；"himself" 指代男性或雄性動物。
itself vs by itself
"itself" 強調主詞自身；"by itself" 強調「獨自、自動地」。
口語用法
How is "Itself" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Itself"?
引述
用於引述或重複前面提到的內容，使對話焦點回到主體上。 EN: "The system will update itself overnight." 翻譯: 「系統會在夜間自行更新。」
EN:"I told the story to the book itself, hoping it would remember."
翻譯:「我把故事告訴了書本身，希望它能記住。」
語氣強調
在口語中加強語氣，強調主詞的自主性或獨特性。 EN: "The cake was so good, it sold out by itself." 翻譯: 「這蛋糕太棒了，自己就賣光了。」
EN:"Let the evidence speak for itself."
翻譯:「讓證據自己說話吧。」
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，用作短暫的停頓填充詞，通常與「by」連用。 EN: "Well, by itself, that's not a problem, but..." 翻譯: 「嗯，單就這件事本身來說，不是問題，但是…」
EN:"It's, by itself, a pretty simple idea."
翻譯:「這，就其本身而言，是個相當簡單的想法。」
正式書寫注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免將 "itself" 用作停頓填充詞（如 "by itself" 插入語），以保持行文流暢嚴謹。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Itself"?What fixed phrases with "Itself" should I remember?
by itself
by itself
獨自地；自動地
in itself
in itself
就其本身而言；本質上
of itself
of itself
自行；自然而然地
to itself
to itself
獨享的；不與他人分享的
see for itself
see for itself
親眼目睹；親自驗證
speak for itself
speak for itself
不言而喻；顯而易見
present itself
present itself
出現；顯現（機會、問題等）
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Itself"?Which "Itself" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The cat washed itself's fur.
✓The cat washed its fur.
"Itself" 是反身代名詞，沒有所有格形式。表示「它自己的」應該用形容詞性物主代詞 "its"，而不是 "itself's"。
×The book is interesting by itself.
✓The book is interesting in itself.
表示「就其本身而言」或「本質上」的正確片語是 "in itself"，而不是 "by itself"。"By itself" 通常表示「單獨地」或「沒有幫助地」。
×The problem solved itself after a few days.
✓The problem resolved itself after a few days.
雖然 "solve" 和 "resolve" 都有「解決」的意思，但當主語是問題、衝突或困難，且動作是「自行解決」時，更地道的搭配是 "resolve itself"。"Solve itself" 聽起來不自然。
×I bought a gift for itself.
✓I bought a gift for it.
反身代名詞 "itself" 用於當動作的執行者和承受者是同一事物時（主語和賓語相同）。在這個句子中，"I" 是動作執行者，"gift" 是給「它」的，承受者是另一個事物（it），所以應該用賓格代詞 "it"，而不是反身代詞 "itself"。
×The city itself is very beautiful.
✓The city itself is very beautiful.
這個句子本身是正確的，但學習者常誤解 "itself" 在這裡的強調用法。"Itself" 在這裡是用來強調主語 "the city"，意思是「城市本身」，而不是「城市自己」。中文翻譯時常錯誤地加入「自己」，但這裡的 "itself" 是強調而非反身，正確理解是「這城市本身就非常漂亮」。
×The computer turned off itself.
✓The computer turned itself off.
當動詞片語是「動詞 + 副詞」（如 turn off, shut down）時，反身代名詞 "itself" 必須放在動詞和副詞之間，而不是放在整個片語之後。這是英文中代名詞在片語動詞中的固定位置。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Itself"?What are tense/participle forms of "Itself"?