selfie

See also: selfié and Selfie

English

Kim Ju-sung taking a selfie

Etymology

From self +‎ -ie. Attested since 2002, originally Australian English.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛlfi/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlfi

Noun

selfie (plural selfies)

2. (informal, mobile telephony, social media) A photographic self-portrait, especially one taken manually (not using a timer, tripod etc.) with a small camera or mobile phone.

   take a selfie

   • 2002 September 13, N. "Hopey" Hope, “re: Dissolvable stitches”, in ABC Online Forum‎^[1], archived from the original on 23 November 2013:

     Um, drunk at a mates^[sic] 21st, I tripped ofer^[sic] and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie.

   • 2004 October 21, Brian McGuirk, “bmcguirk's photos.”, in Flickr‎^[2], archived from the original on 26 November 2004:

     Pre. Nice rooftop selfie. […] No Hair. Another nice rooftop selfie.

   • 2005, Jim Krause, Photo Idea Index, HOW Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 148:

     That's not to imply that it's "wrong" for your arm or hand to show up in a selfie.

   • 2012 December 27, Andrew Prince, “The Mars Rover Takes A Selfie”, in National Public Radio‎^[3], archived from the original on 14 September 2015:

     The Mars Rover Takes A Selfie [title]

   • 2013 December 13, Brooke Gladstone, quoting Roberto Schmidt, “The Photographer Behind ‘Selfie-Gate’”, On the Media”, in National Public Radio‎^[4], archived from the original on 1 January 2026:

     Barack Obama was talking to David Cameron and with the Danish Prime Minister, and that’s when she actually reached into her purse and brought out a cell phone and stretched her arms and did a selfie with them.

   • 2017 August 8, “Say Cheese”, in Lily's Driftwood Bay, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Lord Stag (Stephen Fry):

     I shall take this photograph myself. This must be what they call a selfie.

   • 2018, “She Works Out Too Much”, in Little Dark Age, performed by MGMT:

     Don't take it the wrong way / I can never keep up / Sick of liking your selfies

   • 2022 July 3, Kalley Huang, “The Rise of the 0.5 Selfie”, in The New York Times‎^[5], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 4 July 2025:

     Nothing is visible until the selfie is taken, which is half the fun. […] Posting the selfies on Instagram, where limbs are noodly or eyes are buggy, is meant to be silly, making it seem like the photographers take themselves — and social media — less seriously.

Usage notes

• Usage is very varied, including photos of oneself that are not taken by oneself (not self-portraits), as in “Could you take a selfie of me?” (compare autobiography, which may be written by a ghostwriter), or not only of oneself, as in “This is a selfie of me and my sister.” Many terms for recently popular photo genres have been coined by analogy by suffixing -ie, as in shelfie, or by blending, as in nelfie. A self-portrait of multiple people is sometimes called an ussie, groupie, or selvesie.

Hypernyms

• self-portrait

Derived terms

• 0.5 selfie
• belfie
• braggie
• brelfie
• carfie
• chelfie
• delfie
• drelfie
• dronie
• felfie
• footsie
• grelfie
• groupie
• healthie
• helfie
• killfie
• legsie
• lelfie
• melfie
• nakie
• nelfie
• pelfie
• relfie
• selficide
• selfie camera
• selfie stick
• shelfie
• shoefie
• slofie
• stealthie
• twofie
• ussie
• vaxxie
• velfie
• wefie
• welfie
• youfie

Descendants

Descendants

• → Arabic: سِلْفِي (silfī)
  • → Gulf Arabic: سلفي (silfi, salfi)
• → Armenian: սելֆի (selfi)
• → Assamese: চেল্ফি (selphi)
• → Azerbaijani: selfi
• → Belarusian: сэ́лфі (sélfi)
• → Czech: selfíčko
• → Danish: selfie
• → Dutch: selfie
• → Finnish: selfie
• → French: selfie
• → Georgian: სელფი (selpi)
• → German: Selfie
• → Greek: σέλφι (sélfi)
• → Hebrew: סֶלְפִי (sélfi)
• → Hungarian: szelfi, selfie
• → Irish: féinín (calque)
• → Italian: selfie
• → Japanese: セルフィー (serufi)
• → Hebrew: סֶלְפִי (sélfi)
• → Korean: 셀피 (selpi)
• → Latvian: selfijs
• → Lithuanian: selfis
• → Norwegian Bokmål: selfie
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: selfie
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: sjølvi (calque)
• → Papiamentu: selfie
• → Persian: سلفی (selfi)
• → Polish: selfie
• → Portuguese: selfie, sélfie
• → Romanian: selfie
• → Russian: се́лфи (sɛ́lfi)
• → Scottish Gaelic: fèineag (calque)
• → Serbo-Croatian: selfie
• → Slovak: selfie
• → Slovak: svojka (calque)
• → Spanish: selfie, selfi
• → Swedish: selfie
• → Thai: เซลฟี (seel-fîi)
• → Turkish: selfie, → özçekim (calque)
• → Ukrainian: се́лфі (sélfi)

Translations

photographic self-portrait

• Arabic: سِلْفِي m (silfī), سِيلْفِي m (silfi, sīlfī), صُورَة ذَاتِيَّة f (ṣūra(t) ḏātiyya)

  Gulf Arabic: سلفي (silfi, salfi)

• Armenian: սելֆի (selfi)
• Assamese: চেল্ফি (selphi)
• Azerbaijani: selfi, özçəkim
• Belarusian: сэ́лфі n (sélfi)
• Bulgarian: се́лфи n (sélfi)
• Catalan: autofoto f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 自拍 (zi⁶ paak³)

  Mandarin: 自拍 (zh) (zìpāi)

• Czech: selfíčko (cs)
• Danish: selfie c, selvportræt n
• Dutch: selfie (nl) n
• Esperanto: memfoto
• Finnish: selfie (fi), omakuva (fi), meitsie
• French: selfie (fr) m or f; (Canadian French): égoportrait (fr) m, autophoto (fr) f
• Galician: autofoto f
• Georgian: სელფი (selpi), თვითფოტო (tvitpoṭo)
• German: Selfie (de) n or m
• Greek: σέλφι (el) sg or f (sélfi), αυτοφωτογράφιση (el) (aftofotográfisi)
• Hebrew: סֶלְפִי (he) m (sélfi)
• Hungarian: szelfi (hu), selfie (hu)
• Icelandic: sjálfsmynd f
• Indonesian: swafoto (id), foto narsisis
• Irish: féinphic m, féinín m
• Italian: selfie (it) m
• Japanese: 自分撮り (ja) (じぶんどり, jibundori), 自撮り (ja) (じどり, jidori), セルフィー (ja) (serufī)
• K'iche': selfie
• Korean: 셀피 (selpi), 셀프카메라 (selpeukamera), 셀카 (selka)
• Latvian: fotopašportrets m, pašfoto, pašbilde f, selfijs m
• Lithuanian: asmenukė, selfis
• Macedonian: самослик (mk) m (samoslik)
• Malay: swagambar, swafoto (ms), سوافوتو (ms) (suafutu)
• Māori: matatahi, kiriāhua
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: selfie (no) m

  Nynorsk: selfie m, sjølvi

• Papiamentu: slfer, selfie
• Persian: سلفی (fa) (selfi)
• Polish: selfie (pl) n
• Portuguese: selfie (pt) m or f, sélfie (pt) f
• Romanian: selfie n
• Russian: се́лфи (ru) n (sɛ́lfi), себя́шка (ru) f (sebjáška)
• Scottish Gaelic: fèineag f
• Serbo-Croatian: sebić m, samić m, samoslik m, selfie n
• Slovak: selfie n, svojka f
• Spanish: autofoto (es) f, selfie f, selfi (es) f, autofotografía
• Swedish: selfie (sv), egobild, självis (sv)
• Thai: เซลฟี (seel-fîi)
• Turkish: selfie (tr), özçekim (tr), görçek (tr)
• Ukrainian: се́лфі n (sélfi)
• Vietnamese: tự sướng (vi), ảnh tự sướng, hình tự sướng, ảnh tự chụp, hình tự chụp, seo-phi
• Welsh: hunlun m

Verb

selfie (third-person singular simple present selfies, present participle selfying, simple past and past participle selfied)

1. (intransitive, informal, mobile telephony) To take a selfie.

Translations

to take a selfie

• Arabic:

  Gulf Arabic: خذا سلفي (ḵiḏa silfi), صور سلفي (ṣawwar silfi)

• Georgian: სელფის იღებს (selpis iɣebs), თვითფოტოს იღებს (tvitpoṭos iɣebs)
• Greek: βγάζω σέλφι (vgázo sélfi)
• Hebrew: עָשָׂה סֶלְפִי ('asá sélfi)
• Hungarian: szelfizik (hu)
• Indonesian: berswafoto
• K'iche': esaxik ib' jun wachb'al
• Malay: berswafoto
• Russian: делать селфи (délat' sélfi), селфиться (ru) (sélfitʹsja)
• Spanish: selfiar, autofotografiar
• Thai: เซลฟี (seel-fîi)

Further reading

• Selfie on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:Selfies on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• e-files

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English selfie.

Noun

selfie

1. selfie

Declension

Declension of selfie

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	selfie	selfien	selfier selfies	selfierne
genitive	selfies	selfiens	selfiers selfiess	selfiernes

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

selfie m (plural selfies, diminutive selfietje n)

1. selfie

   Synonym: otofoto

Derived terms

• stemfie
• zelfje

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈselfi/, [ˈs̠e̞lfi]
• Rhymes: -elfi

Noun

selfie

1. selfie

Declension

Inflection of selfie (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)
nominative		selfie	selfiet
genitive		selfien	selfieiden selfieitten
partitive		selfietä	selfieitä
illative		selfieen	selfieihin
		singular	plural
nominative		selfie	selfiet
accusative	nom.	selfie	selfiet
	gen.	selfien
genitive		selfien	selfieiden selfieitten
partitive		selfietä	selfieitä
inessive		selfiessä	selfieissä
elative		selfiestä	selfieistä
illative		selfieen	selfieihin
adessive		selfiellä	selfieillä
ablative		selfieltä	selfieiltä
allative		selfielle	selfieille
essive		selfienä	selfieinä
translative		selfieksi	selfieiksi
abessive		selfiettä	selfieittä
instructive		—	selfiein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of selfie (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative selfieni selfieni accusative nom. selfieni selfieni gen. selfieni genitive selfieni selfieideni selfieitteni partitive selfietäni selfieitäni inessive selfiessäni selfieissäni elative selfiestäni selfieistäni illative selfieeni selfieihini adessive selfielläni selfieilläni ablative selfieltäni selfieiltäni allative selfielleni selfieilleni essive selfienäni selfieinäni translative selfiekseni selfieikseni abessive selfiettäni selfieittäni instructive — — comitative — selfieineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative selfiesi selfiesi accusative nom. selfiesi selfiesi gen. selfiesi genitive selfiesi selfieidesi selfieittesi partitive selfietäsi selfieitäsi inessive selfiessäsi selfieissäsi elative selfiestäsi selfieistäsi illative selfieesi selfieihisi adessive selfielläsi selfieilläsi ablative selfieltäsi selfieiltäsi allative selfiellesi selfieillesi essive selfienäsi selfieinäsi translative selfieksesi selfieiksesi abessive selfiettäsi selfieittäsi instructive — — comitative — selfieinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative selfiemme selfiemme accusative nom. selfiemme selfiemme gen. selfiemme genitive selfiemme selfieidemme selfieittemme partitive selfietämme selfieitämme inessive selfiessämme selfieissämme elative selfiestämme selfieistämme illative selfieemme selfieihimme adessive selfiellämme selfieillämme ablative selfieltämme selfieiltämme allative selfiellemme selfieillemme essive selfienämme selfieinämme translative selfieksemme selfieiksemme abessive selfiettämme selfieittämme instructive — — comitative — selfieinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative selfienne selfienne accusative nom. selfienne selfienne gen. selfienne genitive selfienne selfieidenne selfieittenne partitive selfietänne selfieitänne inessive selfiessänne selfieissänne elative selfiestänne selfieistänne illative selfieenne selfieihinne adessive selfiellänne selfieillänne ablative selfieltänne selfieiltänne allative selfiellenne selfieillenne essive selfienänne selfieinänne translative selfieksenne selfieiksenne abessive selfiettänne selfieittänne instructive — — comitative — selfieinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative selfiensä selfiensä accusative nom. selfiensä selfiensä gen. selfiensä genitive selfiensä selfieidensä selfieittensä partitive selfietään selfietänsä selfieitään selfieitänsä inessive selfiessään selfiessänsä selfieissään selfieissänsä elative selfiestään selfiestänsä selfieistään selfieistänsä illative selfieensä selfieihinsä adessive selfiellään selfiellänsä selfieillään selfieillänsä ablative selfieltään selfieltänsä selfieiltään selfieiltänsä allative selfielleen selfiellensä selfieilleen selfieillensä essive selfienään selfienänsä selfieinään selfieinänsä translative selfiekseen selfieksensä selfieikseen selfieiksensä abessive selfiettään selfiettänsä selfieittään selfieittänsä instructive — — comitative — selfieineen selfieinensä

Derived terms

• meitsie

See also

• teinipeili
• omakuva

Further reading

• “selfie”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[6] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛl.fi/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

selfie m or f (plural selfies)

1. selfie

   Synonyms: autophoto, égoportrait

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛl.fi/

Noun

selfie m or f (plural selfii)

1. (neologism) selfie

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛl.fi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlfi
• Syllabification: sel‧fie

Noun

selfie n (indeclinable)

1. (informal, mobile telephony, photography) selfie

   Synonyms: selfiaczek, selfiak, selficzek, selfik, samojebka, samolubka, sweet focia

Derived terms

nouns

• selfiak
• selfik

Related terms

nouns

• selfiaczek
• selficzek

Further reading

• selfie in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• selfie in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English selfie.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛw.fi/ [ˈsɛʊ̯.fi]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛl.fi/ [ˈsɛɫ.fi]

Noun

selfie f or (Brazil, less common) m (plural selfies)

1. (proscribed) selfie (photographic self-portrait)

Spanish

Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English selfie.

Alternative forms

• selfi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈselfi/ [ˈsel.fi]
• Rhymes: -elfi

Noun

selfie m or (less common) f (plural selfies)

1. selfie

   Synonym: autofoto

   • 2022, Bad Bunny, “Tití Me Preguntó”, in Un Verano Sin Ti:

     Vamo' a tirarno' un selfie, say "cheese", ey

     Let’s take a selfie, say “cheese”, hey

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈselfje/ [ˈsel.fje]
• Rhymes: -elfje
• Syllabification: sel‧fie

Verb

selfie

1. inflection of selfiar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Turkish

Alternative forms

• selfi (adapted)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English selfie

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsel.fi/, [sæl-]
• Hyphenation: sel‧fie

Noun

selfie (definite accusative selfieyi, plural selfieler)

1. selfie

   Synonym: özçekim — puristic

   selfie çekmek ― to take a selfie

Declension

Declension of selfie

singular plural nominative selfie selfieler definite accusative selfieyi selfieleri dative selfieye selfielere locative selfiede selfielerde ablative selfieden selfielerden genitive selfienin selfielerin Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular selfiem selfielerim 2nd singular selfien selfielerin 3rd singular selfiesi selfieleri 1st plural selfiemiz selfielerimiz 2nd plural selfieniz selfieleriniz 3rd plural selfieleri selfieleri definite accusative singular plural 1st singular selfiemi selfielerimi 2nd singular selfieni selfielerini 3rd singular selfiesini selfielerini 1st plural selfiemizi selfielerimizi 2nd plural selfienizi selfielerinizi 3rd plural selfielerini selfielerini dative singular plural 1st singular selfieme selfielerime 2nd singular selfiene selfielerine 3rd singular selfiesine selfielerine 1st plural selfiemize selfielerimize 2nd plural selfienize selfielerinize 3rd plural selfielerine selfielerine locative singular plural 1st singular selfiemde selfielerimde 2nd singular selfiende selfielerinde 3rd singular selfiesinde selfielerinde 1st plural selfiemizde selfielerimizde 2nd plural selfienizde selfielerinizde 3rd plural selfielerinde selfielerinde ablative singular plural 1st singular selfiemden selfielerimden 2nd singular selfienden selfielerinden 3rd singular selfiesinden selfielerinden 1st plural selfiemizden selfielerimizden 2nd plural selfienizden selfielerinizden 3rd plural selfielerinden selfielerinden genitive singular plural 1st singular selfiemin selfielerimin 2nd singular selfienin selfielerinin 3rd singular selfiesinin selfielerinin 1st plural selfiemizin selfielerimizin 2nd plural selfienizin selfielerinizin 3rd plural selfielerinin selfielerinin Predicative forms singular plural 1st singular selfieyim selfielerim 2nd singular selfiesin selfielersin 3rd singular selfie selfiedir selfieler selfielerdir 1st plural selfieyiz selfieleriz 2nd plural selfiesiniz selfielersiniz 3rd plural selfieler selfielerdir

Further reading

• “selfie”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “selfie”, in Nişanyan Sözlük