Itsensä

Itsensä is a Finnish reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of a clause, functioning roughly like the English “oneself,” “himself,” “herself,” or “itself.” The form itsensä is the common third‑person reflexive form and is used in singular. Finnish does not separate reflexive pronouns by gender in the third person, so itsensä covers masculine, feminine, and neuter subjects in one form.

Primary function and usage

Itsensä marks that the action of the verb is directed at or performed by the subject on itself. It typically appears as the object of a verb, for example: Hän pesi itsensä (He washed himself). It can also be used to emphasize the subject’s involvement or agency without repeating a noun, though the emphasis is generally milder than that of using itse for explicit focus.

Relation to itse

Itsensä is related to the base word itse (self). While itse can be used for emphasis, itsensä is more often the reflexive object form in sentences where clarity about the action’s reference to the subject is needed. In many contexts, Finnish speakers can choose to omit the reflexive pronoun if the meaning is clear from context, but itsensä provides a clear reflexive reference when required.

Morphology

Itsensä is typically used in singular third-person contexts and does not vary for gender. It is part of the wider system of reflexive pronouns in Finnish, alongside forms derived from itse for other syntactic needs.

Examples

- Hän pesi itsensä. (He washed himself.)

- Hän kehui itsensä. (He praised himself.)

See also

Reflexive pronouns in Finnish; itse; Finnish pronoun usage.