Him vs. Himself – Which is Correct?

Him and himself are both correct English pronouns, but they serve different grammatical roles. Use him as an object pronoun after a verb or preposition: “I called him.” Use himself as a reflexive or emphatic pronoun when it refers back to a male subject: “He helped himself.” Context determines choice.

Him or Himself – Which is Correct?

Him and himself are both valid American English words, but they are not interchangeable. Him is the objective form of the personal pronoun he. It identifies the person receiving an action or following a preposition.

This same distinction matters in comparisons such as Him and I vs. Him and Myself, where case determines the correct form.

Himself is a reflexive or intensive pronoun. Use it when the action returns to a male subject, or when you want to emphasize that the male person performed an action personally. In standard English, himself generally needs a connection to he or another masculine singular noun.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the “he test.” If the person doing the action is also receiving the action, use himself: He introduced himself. If someone else is acting on him, use him: She introduced him.

You can also remember that himself contains him plus self. The added word self signals that the action points back to the person. For emphasis, replace himself with personally: The director himself approved the plan means The director personally approved the plan.

How to Use Him

Him is the objective case of he. Use it as the direct object of a verb, the indirect object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. It is common in both casual and formal English.

Use him when another person performs the action toward or for the male person being discussed. Do not use him as the subject of a standard English sentence; use he instead.

Example 1: The teacher praised him for his careful work.

Example 2: We sent him an invitation to the ceremony.

Example 3: I left the documents with him.

What are the different forms of Him?

Him does not have verb tenses, plural forms, or comparative degrees. It belongs to the pronoun system based on he. The main related forms are he as the subject, him as the object, his as the possessive form, and himself as the reflexive or emphatic form.

Etymology of the word Him

Him comes from Old English him, the dative form of the masculine third-person pronoun. Its use gradually expanded from an indirect-object form to the general object form used in modern English. It is related to the subject form he and the possessive form his.

How to Use Himself

Himself has two main uses: reflexive and intensive. In reflexive use, it refers back to a masculine singular subject. The subject and object are the same person: He shaved himself. In intensive use, it emphasizes a noun or pronoun without serving as the essential object of the verb: The president himself attended the meeting.

In careful standard English, himself should not normally replace him simply to sound more formal. For example, She invited him is standard, while She invited himself is incorrect because there is no masculine subject for himself to refer back to.

Example 1: He reminded himself to check the address.

Example 2: The athlete himself thanked the volunteers.

Example 3: Daniel prepared himself for the difficult interview.

What are the different forms of Himself?

Himself is a fixed singular masculine reflexive pronoun. It does not change for tense, number, or degree of comparison. Its corresponding forms include myself, yourself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

Use the singular form himself with he or a singular masculine noun. For a plural subject, use themselves: The players congratulated themselves. The intensive use follows the same agreement pattern: The manager himself signed the letter.

Etymology of the word Himself

Himself developed from the combination of Old English forms related to him and self. The word self originally referred to one’s own person or identity. Together, the elements created a pronoun meaning “that male person personally” or “that male person as the object of his own action.”

Related Concepts

Understanding grammatical case and pronoun reference makes the difference between him and himself easier to recognize.

• Objective pronouns: Objective pronouns receive an action or follow a preposition. Examples include me, you, him, her, us, and them.
• Reflexive pronouns: Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a clause. Examples include myself, yourself, himself, and themselves.
• Intensive pronouns: Intensive pronouns emphasize a noun or pronoun. In “The author herself answered the questions,” herself adds emphasis but is not required for the sentence’s basic meaning.
• Pronoun agreement: A pronoun should agree with its antecedent in number and, where relevant, gender. A singular masculine antecedent takes himself, while a plural antecedent takes themselves.

Examples from Media and Literature

Writers use him for ordinary objects and himself for self-directed actions or emphasis. The following examples illustrate how the distinction appears in storytelling, journalism, and everyday media language.

• Literary narration: A narrator might write, “The messenger delivered the letter to him,” where him follows the preposition to.
• Character development: In a novel, “After the defeat, he blamed himself” uses himself because the character is both the subject and the person blamed.
• Film dialogue: A character may say, “I saw him at the station,” using him as the object of saw.
• News writing: A report may state, “The mayor himself announced the decision,” using himself to emphasize that the mayor personally made the announcement.
• Biographical writing: A profile might explain, “He taught himself to play the guitar,” where himself shows that he was both the learner and the person who taught him.

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

1. The coach congratulated ______ after the final match.
2. After making the mistake, he apologized to ______.
3. The scientist ______ presented the findings.
4. Maria asked whether I had spoken to ______.
5. He accidentally cut ______ while preparing dinner.

Answer Key

1. himself
2. himself
3. himself
4. him
5. himself

Him Synonyms

Pronouns usually do not have exact synonyms because their meaning depends on context. A noun phrase such as that man may replace him in some sentences, but it can sound repetitive or less natural.

Himself Synonyms

These alternatives are not interchangeable in every sentence. For example, He injured himself cannot be replaced naturally with He injured personally. The best alternative depends on whether himself is reflexive or emphatic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “himself” more formal than “him”?
No. The two words have different grammatical functions. Himself is not simply a more formal version of him; it is a reflexive or intensive pronoun.

Question 2: Should I say “between you and him” or “between you and himself”?
Use between you and him. The preposition between requires object pronouns, and himself is not appropriate unless it refers back to a masculine subject in the same clause.

Question 3: Is “He did it by himself” correct?
Yes. In this sentence, himself means that he did it alone or without assistance. It is part of the phrase by himself.

Question 4: Is “I gave the report to himself” correct?
Usually, no. The standard sentence is “I gave the report to him.” Use himself only when it refers back to a masculine subject, as in “He gave the report to himself,” although that meaning would be unusual.

Conclusion

Him is the objective pronoun used after verbs and prepositions, while himself is used for reflexive meaning or emphasis. Choose himself when the action returns to a male subject or when you mean “personally.” Pro Tip: Using pronouns accurately strengthens your credibility in professional emails, reports, and formal writing.