ख़ुद / अपने आप

By Oneself

Level 2Sounds Like ḵẖuda aura apanē āpa

ख़ुद = myself, yourself and so on; अपने आप = by itself, on one's own.

How It Works

ख़ुद (also spelled खुद) never changes for person or gender. The same word works for myself, yourself, himself or herself.

  • In person: मैं ख़ुद आऊँगा (I'll come myself), आप ख़ुद देखिए (See for yourself).
  • Without help: मैंने यह केक ख़ुद बनाया है (I made this cake myself).

अपने आप means by itself or on one's own. It is common with things that happen without anyone doing them: दरवाज़ा अपने आप खुल गया (The door opened by itself). It also describes people acting without help: मेरी बेटी अब अपने आप कपड़े पहनती है (My daughter now gets dressed on her own).

Doing something to yourself. English uses himself or herself as an object. Hindi uses ख़ुद को or अपने आप को, not the ordinary pronoun: उसने ख़ुद को आईने में देखा (She looked at herself in the mirror).

For a person's own things, use अपना: मैं अपना काम ख़ुद करता हूँ (I do my own work myself).

Examples (5)

  1. मैंने यह केक ख़ुद बनाया है।

    I made this cake myself.

    ख़ुद stresses that nobody else made it.

  2. आप ख़ुद देखिए।

    See for yourself.

    ख़ुद works with every person, including आप.

  3. दरवाज़ा अपने आप खुल गया।

    The door opened by itself.

    अपने आप: nobody opened it.

  4. मेरी बेटी अब अपने आप कपड़े पहनती है।

    My daughter now gets dressed on her own.

    अपने आप here means without help.

  5. उसने ख़ुद को आईने में देखा।

    She looked at herself in the mirror.

    ख़ुद को is used for an action done to oneself.

Common Mistakes

  • Using an ordinary pronoun for oneself.

    मैंने मुझे आईने में देखा।
    मैंने ख़ुद को आईने में देखा।

    When the doer and the object are the same person, use ख़ुद को or अपने आप को.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ख़ुद / अपने आपLevel 2By Oneself

Learn This First

By oneself builds on the reflexive अपना.

Words in This Pattern

ख़ुदअपने आपअपना