How to Say “Self” in French

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soi-même
The French word for the English phrase 'self' is soi-même.
soi-même is used to refer to the individual person as the object of one's own reflective consciousness.
Meaning: individual person as the object of own reflective consciousness (noun)

Which one should you use?

Use moi-même to mean 'myself' when referring specifically to your own person, and use toi-même to mean 'yourself' when addressing a listener directly. In contrast, soi-même is used for the abstract or indefinite 'self'.

Did you know?

  • The word soi is the root of the French word soi-disant, which literally means 'saying so of oneself' but is used as an adjective meaning 'so-called'.
  • In French philosophy, the phrase le soi is often distinguished from le moi. While le moi refers to the 'ego' or the psychological self, le soi refers to the deeper, ontological 'self'.
  • The word soi is a 'disjunctive pronoun' that has no subject form, meaning it can never be the actor of a sentence and only appears as an object or after a preposition.

Examples in context

  • Être libre, c'est se posséder soi-même.
    To know one's self is to be free.
    This sentence illustrates the concept of knowing one's soi-même in relation to freedom.
    Tatoeba #908964 by Scott, translation #1505499 by somekinda
  • La victoire la plus dure est la victoire sur soi-même.
    The hardest victory is the victory over self.
    This sentence shows the use of soi-même in the context of a victory over the self.
    Tatoeba #5968105 by Adelpa, translation #5968104 by Adelpa
  • Il faut se connaître soi-même.
    One must know oneself.
  • Elle fait tout elle-même.
    She does everything herself.
  • Je vais me promener. Et toi, qu'est-ce que toi, tu vas faire ?
    I'm going for a walk. And you, what are you going to do?
  • Je m'occupe de tout.
    I'm taking care of everything.
  • Il faut apprendre à se connaître soi-même.
    One must learn to know oneself.

Example conversation

Chloé and Lucas are talking about personal growth.

  1. Chloé

    Je veux mieux comprendre qui je suis soi-même.
    I want to better understand who I am as a self.
  2. Lucas

    C'est un long chemin vers soi-même, Chloé.
    It's a long journey toward the self, Chloé.
  3. Chloé

    Oui, mais c'est essentiel pour être heureux.
    Yes, but it's essential to be happy.
  4. Lucas

    Je suis d'accord avec toi, Lucas.
    I agree with you, Lucas.

Sources

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Ashleigh Joanne
Ashleigh JoanneHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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