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"His" is an adjective which is often translated as "su", and "himself" is a pronoun which is often translated as "él mismo". Learn more about the difference between "his" and "himself" below.
his(
hihz
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (possessive)
a. su
He hates it when I borrow his computer.Odia que le tome prestada su computadora.
He loves to take care of his cats.Le encanta cuidar de sus gatos.
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
2. (possessive)
a. el suyo (M), la suya (F)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
My fries are crispy; I don't know about his.Mis patatas fritas están crujientes, no sé las suyas.
My son is younger than his.Mi hijo es más joven que el suyo.
b. el de él (M), la de él (F)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I have my suitcase, but the airline lost his.Yo tengo mi maleta, pero la aerolínea perdió la de él.
My kids are in kindergarten. His are in second grade.Mis hijos están en el kínder. Los de él están en el segundo grado.
himself(
hihm
-
sehlf
)A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
1. (emphatic)
b. sí mismo (after preposition)
I think he's very capable of finding a job by himself.Yo le creo muy capaz de encontrar un trabajo por sí mismo.
2. (reflexive)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
He hasn't been himself since the accident.No se encuentra bien desde el accidente.
Your father has not been himself lately.En estos últimos tiempos, tu padre ya no es el de siempre.
