How to use "lui-même"

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Permalink Reply by Gary Birsen on June 19, 2010 at 8:24pm

Yep, that's right.
Google translation says: "himself" and "personally". It could be that, but that's not always right.
(Reminder: 1st personn (I) : moi-même, 2n (You): toi-même, 3rd (He): lui-même , 3rd (She): elle-même, 4th (We): nous-même, 5th (You (plural or with respect)): vous-même, 6th (They (males)): eux-mêmes, 6th (They (females)): elles-mêmes

*It can enhance the fact that someone personnaly acted, that it's own initiative:
"He'll personnaly undertake this task"
"Il va se charger lui-même de cette tâche" (tâche = task ; tache = a stain // Be careful !)
Or "Il va se charger de cette tâche lui même"
But you could also say: "Il va se charger de cette tâche personnellement"

*In a dialogue, it can enhance the fact that you're the personn someone is talking about (that's not clear, I'll show you a situation):
-Mr. X recognized Paul Mccartney walking in the street : "Oh my god, you're Paul Mccartney, aren't you?"
In french Paul will answer "Oui c'est bien moi" ("That's me"), or "Lui-même." (to confirm he is really Paul Mccartney. It may be strange, but you had to use the 3rd personn, as if you're talking about someone else, even then that personn is you. If the subject is a woman: "Elle-même".)

*It can also be used as "my/your/him...self":
"He's speaking with himself"
"Il se parle à lui même"

But you can't use "lui-même" everytime, some wrong expressions:
"I wonder if..."
You can't translate: "Je me demande moi-même si..."
But you had to say: "Je me demande si..."

"I introduce myself"
WRONG: "Je me suis présenté moi-même"
RIGHT: "Je me suis présenté"

...

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Permalink Reply by Gary Birsen on June 19, 2010 at 8:34pm

Another expression that you can found:

"Lui même lorsqu'il était un jeune enfant, il avait l'habitude de jouer à ce jeu" (When he was a child, he used to play that game too)
I don't know how to translate in English, but in that case, "Lui-même" enhance that the subject is or was concerned too. Anyway it can be replaced by "Lui aussi", but you will say:
"Lui aussi lorsqu'il était un jeune enfant, il avait l'habitude de jouer à ce jeu"
or "Lorsqu'il était un jeune enfant, il avait lui aussi l'habitude de jouer à ce jeu".

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Permalink Reply by Crack1 on June 20, 2010 at 11:59am

He'll personnaly undertake this task"
"Il va se charger lui-même de cette tâche" (tâche = task ; tache = a stain // Be careful !)
Or "Il va se charger de cette tâche lui même"
But you could also say: "Il va se charger de cette tâche personnellement"

.............
Gary, you felt it was so easy to change the word order.
I wonder whether there any rules pertaining to change the word order.

..........................................................................................................................................................
2.He'll personally undertake this task.
3.He'll undertake this task personally.

For me it would be fine to shift the word 'personally'.
In the second sentence the emphasis is on the word 'personally'.
In the third it is on the words 'undertaking the task'.
I must confess the fact that I am not a native English speaker.

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