nousmêmes

Nous-mêmes, standard spelling nous-mêmes in French, is a reflexive pronoun used to stress that the subject acts by or for themselves. It combines the first-person plural pronoun nous with the intensive pronoun même, and it can emphasize autonomy, direct involvement, or solidarity within a group.

Grammatically, nous-mêmes functions as a pronoun that agrees with the subject in number (plural). It is often used to intensify the action or to indicate that the action is done without help from others. Examples include: Nous avons préparé le repas nous-mêmes (We prepared the meal ourselves) and Nous l’avons fait nous-mêmes (We did it ourselves). It can also appear after the verb for emphasis, such as Nous l’avons fait, nous-mêmes.

In philosophical, sociological, and literary contexts, the expression can denote the collective self of a group or community, or a stance of self-reliance. It may be used to distinguish the actions or identity of a group (the nous) from external agents, or to highlight shared responsibility and agency within a community. In discourse, its nuance ranges from practical self-reliance to an assertion of collective autonomy, depending on tone and context.

See also: nous (we), même, moi-même, vous-mêmes, eux-mêmes. The related forms reflect how French uses même as an intensifier in reflexive pronouns to mark emphasis, agreement with the subject, and the boundary between collective and individual action.