Cool MateOurselves vs Personally
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Ourselves
Personally
| Ourselves | Personally | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɑːˈselvz//ˌaʊəˈselvz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɑːrˈselvz//ˌaʊərˈselvz/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈpɜːsənəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈpɜːrsənəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | We (people) by our own action or choices. | For me or in my opinion. |
| Example | We shouldn't blame ourselves for what happened. | Personally, I believe that everyone should have the right to express their opinions. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | B1 |
| Part of speech | pronoun | adverb |
| Collocations | find ourselves, believe in ourselves, challenge ourselves, enjoy ourselves, remind ourselves | personally believe, personally think, personally feel, personally prefer, personally experienced |
| Antonyms | themselves, yourself, himself, herself | impersonally, objectively |
| Common mistakes | Using 'ourself' instead of 'ourselves'., Confusing with 'themselves' or 'yourself' when speaking about a different group., Incorrect subject-verb agreement, e.g., 'We saw ourselves' instead of 'Us saw ourselves.' | Using 'personally' when talking about other people's opinions., Confusing with 'person' — 'personally' is an adverb, not a noun., Placing 'personally' in the wrong part of the sentence. |
| Usage notes | Use 'ourselves' when referring back to a group including the speaker. It's more common in reflective or self-referential contexts. Avoid in overly formal writing. | Use 'personally' when sharing your own thoughts or feelings. It's appropriate in both spoken and written language but may sound too informal in very formal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Ourselves vs Personally
What's the difference between Ourselves and Personally?
Ourselves: We (people) by our own action or choices. Personally: For me or in my opinion.
Which is more common: Ourselves and Personally?
Ourselves is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Ourselves and Personally?
Personally is the highest level, at B1, on the CEFR scale.
Are Ourselves and Personally the same CEFR level?
Ourselves: A2, Personally: B1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Ourselves and Personally?
Ourselves: pronoun, Personally: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Ourselves: We shouldn't blame ourselves for what happened. Personally: Personally, I believe that everyone should have the right to express their opinions.
Can I use Ourselves and Personally interchangeably?
Not always. Ourselves and Personally are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.