myself
vs
by myself

QUICK ANSWER

"Myself" is a pronoun which is often translated as "me", and "by myself" is a phrase which is often translated as "por mi cuenta". Learn more about the difference between "myself" and "by myself" below.

myself(

may

sehlf

)

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).

pronoun

1. (reflexive)

a. me

Ouch! I hit myself with the hammer.¡Ay! Me pegué con el martillo.

2. (emphatic)

a. yo mismo (masculine)

I told him myself.Se lo dije yo mismo.

b. yo misma (female)

I'm going to fix the computer myself.Voy a arreglar la computadora yo misma.

c. mí mismo (masculine; used after a preposition)

I'm going to do it for myself.Voy a hacerlo por mí mismo.

d. mí misma (feminine; used after a preposition)

I can speak for myself.Puedo hablar por mí misma.

by myself(

bay

may

sehlf

)

A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).

phrase

1. (without help)

a. por mi cuenta

I tried to fix the car by myself because I didn't have the money to take it to the repair shop.Traté de arreglar el carro por mi cuenta porque no tenía el dinero para llevarlo al taller.

b. por mí mismo (masculine)

My sister could not help me with my project, so I finished it by myself.Mi hermana no podía ayudarme con mi proyecto, así que lo terminé por mí mismo.

c. por mí misma (feminine)

I want to learn to do things by myself.Quiero aprender a valer por mí misma.

d. yo solo (masculine)

Daddy, I can get the box down by myself.Papá, puedo bajar la caja yo solo.

e. yo sola (feminine)

I cleaned the house by myself.Limpié la casa yo sola.

2. (without company)

a. solo (masculine)

I enjoy living by myself because I don't like sharing a bathroom.Me gusta vivir solo porque no me gusta compartir el baño.

b. sola (feminine)

Where are you right now? I'm by myself.¿Dónde estás ahorita? Estoy sola.

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