language note: Ourselves is the first person plural reflexive pronoun.
1. pronoun
You use ourselves to refer to yourself and one or more other people as a group.
We sat round the fire to keep ourselves warm.
It was the first time we admitted to ourselves that we were tired.
2. pronoun
A speaker or writer sometimes uses ourselves to refer to people in general. Ourselves is used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject refers to the same people.
We all know that when we exert ourselves our heart rate increases.
3. pronoun
You use ourselves to emphasize a first person plural subject. In more formal English, ourselves is sometimes used instead of 'us' as the object of a verb or preposition, for emphasis.
[emphasis]
Others are feeling just the way we ourselves would feel in the same situation.
The people who will suffer won't be people like ourselves.
4. pronoun
If you say something such as 'We did it ourselves', you are indicating that something was done by you and a particular group of other people, rather than anyone else.
We villagers built that ourselves, we had no help from anyone.
English Easy Learning GrammarReflexive pronounsReflexive pronouns are used: person singular plural 1st2nd3rd masculine3rd feminine3rd neuterGeneral myselfyourselfhimselfherselfitselfoneselfourselvesyourselvesthemselvesthemselvesthemselves ... Read more
ourselves in British English
(aʊəˈsɛlvz)
pronoun
1.
a.
the reflexive form of we or us
b.
(intensifier)
we ourselves will finish it
2. (preceded by a copula)
our usual selves
we are ourselves when we're together
3. not standard
used instead of we or us in compound noun phrases
other people and ourselves
ourselves in American English
(aʊrˈsɛlvz; often ɑrˈsɛlvz)
pronoun
a form of we
, used:
a.
as an intensifier
we ourselves saw it
b.
as a reflexive
we hurt ourselves
c.
with the meaning “our real, true, or normal selves” [we are not ourselves when we are upset]
in this construction our functions as an adjective and selves as a noun, and they may be separated [our own sweet selves]
▶ USAGE: Now sometimes used as a subject or a nonreflexive object in certain contexts [they are younger than ourselves]
Word origin
LME ure selves, for Midland ure selven, replacing us selven, lit., us selves
Examples of 'ourselves' in a sentence
ourselves
Mostly it was people such as ourselves, buying chicken feed in those faded checked shirts that only farmers wear.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It seems the existence of things should give us hope, possibly because they represent something beyond ourselves and our narrow concerns.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I guess we all tell ourselves something similar in similar circumstances, right?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We cannot grow ourselves or anyone else.
Christianity Today (2000)
We thought of ourselves as normal people.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We stopped off at a cafe to force ourselves to eat something.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We go round the room saying our name and something about ourselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We take into consideration what other people say and use it as a motivational tool for ourselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It opened up new worlds and made us feel part of something bigger than ourselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
And we were able to rebuild ourselves as people because we took time out.
The Sun (2016)
They have to tell us something wider about ourselves and they have to be underwritten by credible science.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We can't spend too much time kicking ourselves or anything else that is around.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We will play anyone, enjoy ourselves and try to win.
The Sun (2010)
We can't let ourselves or anybody else stand in the way.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We can't look for excuses or try to blame anyone but ourselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We're willing to defend ourselves if anyone gives us trouble.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But if we can trust ourselves, will anyone trust us?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We fancy ourselves against anyone.
The Sun (2006)
In other languages
ourselves
British English: ourselves /aʊəˈsɛlvz/ PRONOUN
together You use ourselves when you are talking about yourself and one or more other people.
We sat by the fire to keep ourselves warm.
American English: ourselves
Arabic: أنْفُسُنَا
Brazilian Portuguese: nós mesmos
Chinese: 我们自己
Croatian: sebi samima
Czech: se
Danish: os selv
Dutch: onszelf
European Spanish: nos reflexivo
Finnish: me itse
French: nous-mêmes
German: uns
Greek: εμείς οι ίδιοι
Italian: noi stessi
Japanese: 私たち自身
Korean: 우리 자신
Norwegian: oss (selv)
Polish: siebie
European Portuguese: nós mesmos
Romanian: înșine
Russian: себя
Latin American Spanish: nos
Swedish: oss själva
Thai: ตัวเรา
Turkish: biz kendimiz
Ukrainian: себе
Vietnamese: bản thân chúng tôi
British English: ourselves /aʊəˈsɛlvz/ PRONOUN
without help `We did it ourselves' means that you and one or more other people did it without anymore help.
We built the house ourselves.
American English: ourselves
Arabic: أَنْفُسُنا
Brazilian Portuguese: nós mesmos
Chinese: 自己
Croatian: sami samcati
Czech: samimy sami
Danish: selv
Dutch: zelf
European Spanish: nosotros mismos
Finnish: itse
French: nous-mêmes
German: selbst
Greek: οι ίδιοι
Italian: noi stessi
Japanese: 私達だけで
Korean: 우리 자신
Norwegian: oss selv
Polish: samemu
European Portuguese: nós mesmos
Romanian: înșine
Russian: сами
Latin American Spanish: nosotros mismos
Swedish: själva
Thai: ด้วยตัวเราเอง
Turkish: kendimiz
Ukrainian: самі
Vietnamese: chính chúng tôi
Chinese translation of 'ourselves'
ourselves
(auəˈsɛlvz)
pl pron
我们(們)自己 (wǒmen zìjǐ)
⇒ We built the house ourselves.我们自己盖了房子。 (Wǒmen zìjǐ gàile fángzi.)
⇒ We ourselves live in London.我们本人住在伦敦。 (Wǒmen běnrén zhù zài Lúndūn.)
⇒ We bought ourselves a new car.我们给自己买了辆新车。 (Wǒmen gěi zìjǐ mǎile liàng xīnchē.)
we didn't hurt ourselves我们(們)没(沒)伤(傷)到自己 (wǒmen méi shāngdào zìjǐ)
by ourselves (= unaided) 我们(們)独(獨)力地 (wǒmen dúlì de)
⇒ We're learning to play the guitar by ourselves.我们在自学吉他。 (Wǒmen zài zìxué jítā.)
(= alone) 我们(們)单(單)独(獨)地 (wǒmen dāndú de)
⇒ We were left by ourselves.我们单独留了下来。 (Wǒmen dāndú liúle xiàlái.)