Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "oneself" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

сам

Meaning: oneself, itself, personally, itself

Pronunciation: [sahm]

Part of speech: pronoun

Rank: #72 (see frequency list)

Have you broken the plate? No, it's got broken by itself.
Photo by noricum, licensed under CC GA 2.0

Example sentences:

Я сам это сдéлаю.
I'll do it myself.
Тебé самому́ не спрáвиться!
You won't be able to do it yourself!
Онá хóчет поговори́ть с ним сами́м.
She wants to speak to him personally.
Я и сам знáю, что оши́бся!
I know it myself that I've mistaken!
Онá самá виновáта, что вóвремя не нашлá рабóту.
She has only herself to blame that she didn't find a job in time.
К ней самóй у нас нет никаки́х претéнзий.
We have no reason to complain about her personally.
Еë cаму́ Cáша ещë никогдá не ви́дел.
Sasha has never met her personally yet.
Всë самó cобóй получáeтся.
Everything is going well by itself.
Вы сáми поду́майте, что вы говори́те!
Just think of what you're saying here!
О них сами́х мы ничегó такóго не говори́ли.
We didn't say anything like that about them personally.
Он сам о себé плохóго не скáжет, это я́сно!
He won't say anything bad about himself, it's clear!
Ты разби́л тарéлку? Нет, онá самá разби́лась.
Have you broken the plate? No, it's got broken by itself.
Cам президéнт приходи́л на завóд и бесéдовал с сотру́дниками.
The president himself came to the plant and spoke to the workers.
Он самá поря́дочность.
He's honesty itself.

Idioms and set expressions:

сам себé хозя́ин (головá) = one's own master
сам по себé = by oneself, separately
самó собóй (разумéeтся) = it goes without saying
сам такóй! = look who's talking
э́то говори́т самó за себя́ = it speaks for itself
оставáться сами́м собóй = to remain for ever one
сам не свoй = sad, angry

Related words:

ли́чно = personally
cамостоя́тельный = independant
самолëт = an airplane
самочу́вствие = a physical state
самоуби́йство = suicide

Proverbs and sayings:

Сáми с усáми.
We weren't born yesterday.
literal We have mustache ourselves.
Не рой другóму я́му - сам в неë попадëшь.
Mind you don't fall into your own trap.
literal Don't dig a hole for another person, you can fall into it yourself.
Сам чëрт нóгу слóмит.
It's really difficult.
literal Devil can break his leg.

Other forms of the word (declensions):

case	singular			plural
case	masculine	neuter	feminine	plural
Nominative	са́м	само́	сама́	са́ми
Genitive	самого́	самого́	само́й	сами́х
Dative	самому́	самому́	само́й	сами́м
Accusative (anim/inanim)	самого́/ са́м	само́	саму́	сами́х/ са́ми
Instrumental	сами́м	сами́м	само́й	сами́ми
Prepositional	само́м	само́м	само́й	сами́х

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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