mich
/mɪç/accusative
In German, the English phrase 'myself' can be translated as mich or mir.
Meaning: me, reflexive form of me (pron)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mich | /mɪç/ | accusative |
| mir | /miːɐ̯/ (standard) /mɐ/ (colloquial) |
dative |
While mich is used for direct objects, you can also use the phrase Ich persönlich to say 'I personally' when you want to emphasize your personal involvement or opinion.
Which one should you use?
The form mich is the standard reflexive pronoun, but you can add the word selbst to create mich selbst for an emphatic meaning, similar to saying 'me, myself and I'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice between the two forms depends on the grammatical role in the sentence: use mich when the pronoun is the direct object (accusative) and use mir when it is the indirect object (dative).
How do you pronounce it?
/mɪç/
Did you know?
- The word mir can mean both 'me' and 'we' depending on the context and region. In many German dialects and in Yiddish, mir is used as the first person plural pronoun.
- German uses reflexive pronouns like mich and mir for many physical and emotional states that English expresses without a reflexive, such as 'I am bored' or 'I am ashamed'.
- German has specific 'reflexive verbs' where using mich or mir completely changes the meaning of the verb, sometimes creating an entirely new action.
Examples in context
- Ich hievte mich hoch.I heaved myself up.This sentence shows how to use mich when lifting one's own body.Tatoeba #10626644 by Yorwba, translation #321750 by rul
- Ich hasse mich selbst.I hate myself.This sentence demonstrates using mich with an emphatic construction.Tatoeba #1791721 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1779951 by Spamster
- Ich lache mich kaputt.I laugh myself silly.This sentence shows a common idiomatic way to use mich for emphasis.Tatoeba #7744537 by ruth_tatoeba, translation #8989743 by mccarras
- Ich selbst habe diese Arbeit erledigtI myself have completed this work
- Man kann sich bei Fragen an meine Person wendenYou can contact myself if you have any questions
- Ich habe das alleine gemachtI did it myself
- Ich habe selbst dafür gesorgtI took care of it myself
- Ich kann mir selbst helfenI can help myself
- I mog mi nedI don't like myself
- Ich stelle mich gerne neuen Herausforderungen.I like to challenge myself.
- Er hat sich selbst überrascht.He surprised himself.
- 676 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are talking about a photo they took of themselves.
- HannahKannst du mich auf dem Foto sehen?Can you see me in the photo?
- JulianJa, ich sehe dich.Yes, I see you.
- HannahIch habe mich selbst fotografiert.I photographed myself.
- JulianDas hast du sehr gut gemacht.You did that very well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “myself” translations and entries mich, mir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mich, mir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
