Understanding the distinction between "him" and "himself" is fundamental to mastering English grammar and constructing clear, professional communication. While both are associated with the same male third-person singular pronoun, they serve entirely different syntactic roles within a sentence. Confusing these roles leads to common errors that can undermine the precision of even experienced speakers.
Grammatical Roles: Subject vs. Object
The core difference lies in their function. "Him" is an objective pronoun, meaning it receives the action of a verb or follows a preposition. It cannot act as the subject performing an action. Conversely, "himself" is a reflexive pronoun, used when the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person. You would never say, "Him went to the store," just as you would rarely say, "He helped him" when the man is helping himself.
Subject and Object Pronouns
To grasp the correct usage, it is helpful to compare pronouns based on their grammatical case. Subject pronouns, such as "he," "she," and "they," perform the action. Object pronouns, like "him," "her," and "them," receive the action or are the object of a preposition. Reflexive pronouns, ending in "-self" or "-selves," loop back to the subject. The following table illustrates these categories:
The Function of "Him"
You use "him" whenever you need an objective pronoun replacing a male subject. This occurs after transitive verbs that require a direct object, such as "see," "call," or "thank." It is also the standard object of prepositions like "to," "for," or "with. For example, in the sentence "The manager sent the report to him," the pronoun receives the action of the preposition "to." Similarly, in "The children waved at him," "him" is the object of the preposition "at."
The Function of "Himself"
Using "himself" emphasizes that the subject is performing an action upon its own self. This pronoun is necessary when the object of the verb is the same as the subject. For instance, "He prepared himself for the interview" implies he prepared for himself. It is also used for emphasis, often appearing after "he" to strongly assert the subject's involvement, as in "He himself completed the project," underscoring that he did the work personally and not through a subordinate.
Reflexive and Intensive Uses
Linguists categorize the use of "himself" into two distinct functions: reflexive and intensive. The reflexive use is grammatically necessary, without which the sentence would be incomplete or ambiguous. An example is "He hurt himself," where the subject and object are identical. The intensive use, however, is stylistic, adding emphasis or clarity. In the sentence "The CEO herself signed the contract," the reflexive pronoun intensifies the identity of the actor, though the sentence would be grammatically correct as "The CEO signed the contract."
