selbst
German
Etymology
From the Old High German pronoun selb, selbo, from Proto-Germanic *selbaz, from Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ- (“one's own”), from *s(w)e- (“separate, apart”). Compare Low German sulv, Dutch zelf, English self, Danish selv.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zɛlpst/ (official standard)
- IPA(key): /zɛlps/ (usually before a consonant; colloquially also in pausa)
Audio (file)
Particle
selbst
- personally, by oneself
- Synonym: selber
- Du hast es selbst zugegeben.
- You yourself admitted it.
- der Mann selbst hat uns es gesagt
- the man himself (personally) told us
Derived terms
- auf sich selbst gestellt
- höchstselbst
- Selbst (noun)
- Selbstachtung
- Selbstanzeige
- Selbstaufgabe
- Selbstbefriedigung
- Selbstbehauptung
- Selbstbelügung
- Selbstbezichtigung
- Selbstdarstellung
- Selbstentfremdung
- Selbstheirat
- Selbstlaut
- Selbstliebe
- selbstständig
- Selbstverarschung
- Selbstverleugnung
- Selbstversorgung
- Selbstvertrauen
- von selbst
Related terms
Adverb
selbst
Usage notes
- DWDS labels selbst an indeclinable pronoun when it means “personally”, and an adverb when it means “even”.[1] DWB labels it a pronoun when it means “personally”.[2] The Duden labels it a particle in both senses.[3]
- Selbst is generally understood to refer to the subject of the clause, whatever its position. Thus ich habe Sandra selbst gefragt means “I myself asked Sandra”, and not “I asked Sandra herself”. This can only be changed by placing the object at the beginning of the clause: Sandra selbst habe ich gefragt (“Sandra herself [was the one] I asked”).
References
Categories:
- German terms inherited from Old High German
- German terms derived from Old High German
- German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- German terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- German 1-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German particles
- German terms with usage examples
- German adverbs