-zelf

See also: zelf

Dutch

Etymology

From zelf.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /zÉ›lf/

Suffix

-zelf

  1. Forms reflexive object forms of the personal pronouns.
    Ik waste mezelf.
    I washed myself.
    Hij is vandaag zichzelf niet.
    He is not himself today.
  2. Forms intensive subject forms of the personal pronouns.
    Veel mensen hebben een hond, maar ikzelf heb liever een kat.
    Many people have a dog, but I myself would rather have a cat.

Usage notes

The reflexives are formed from the regular reflexive pronoun forms me, je, zich etc. In modern Dutch, the suffix adds somewhat more emphasis, although the difference is very slight and used interchangeably by most native speakers. Grammatically, there is no difference in meaning between for example zich and zichzelf.

Derived terms

Subject forms:

Object forms:

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