help oneself

English

Verb

help oneself

1. (reflexive) To take something freely; to serve oneself without restraint.

   He said I could help myself to the chocolates.

   • 1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, chapter 1, in Bulldog Drummond:

     Hugh helped himself to bacon. "My dear fellow, she can think what she likes so long as she continues to grill bacon like this. Your wife is a treasure, James—a pearl amongst women; and you can tell her so with my love."

2. To exhibit self-control.

   Sorry for eating all the chocolates - I couldn't help myself.

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see help.

   God helps those who help themselves.

Translations

take something freely

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自己拿 (zìjǐ ná), 自己拿 (zìjǐ ná), (invitation) 請便／请便 (zh) (qǐngbiàn), 请便 (zh) (qǐngbiàn)

• Finnish: saada ottaa, voida ottaa
• French: se servir (fr)
• German: sich bedienen (de), zugreifen (de), sich auftun
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: servirsi (it), favorire (it)
• Japanese: 遠慮なく...する (ja) (えんりょなく...する, enryo naku ... suru)
• Polish: częstować się (pl)
• Portuguese: servir-se (pt)
• Russian: угоща́ться (ru) impf (ugoščátʹsja) (food)
• Swedish: ta för sig

to help oneself — see make use