"They are doing it themselves."

Translation: De gör det själva.

[GeorgeFerguson93]

I don't understand why 'de gör det sig själva' is incorrect, can anyone explain?

[Zmrzlina]

Själv is not only used for constructions with reflexive verbs, but also alone to mean by oneself or alone.

• Behöver du hjälp? (Do you need help?)

• Nej, jag kan själv. (No, I can manage.)

Or

• Vill du ha sällskap ikväll? (Would you like some company tonight?)

• Nej, jag vill vara själv. (No, I want to be by myself.)

Does that help?

[Alf42]

I too was confused by this because of the (correct?) sentence given earlier in this lesson, "Han ser sig själv".

[bjorkhans]

"Nej, jag vill vara själv." does not sound good to me. "Nej, jag vill vara för mig själv" sounds better.

[AGreatUserName]

"sig" is an object. Själv(a) emphasises the subject. English merges both of these concepts into all of the self-words.

For example

Han äter det själv. = He eats it himself.
(Object is "det". "Själv" emphasises that it was him and no one else.)

Han äter sig (själv). = He eats himself.
(Object is "sig" - indicating that the subject and the object are the same person. Själv is commonly used for emphasis.)

I see that you're learning German as well and it's very similar, so the German translations for these sentences are:

Er isst es selbst/selber.
Er isst sich (selbst/selber).

själv(a) = selbst/selber
sig = sich

[Howard]

Systrar gör det för sig själv.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drGx7JkFSp4 ;)

[DogePamyuPamyu]

Why is "De gör den själva"? Can the it not be an en word?

[Zmrzlina]

I... suppose it could. But that it's sort of implied that it's a general statement with a formal subject. Anrui or Arnauti can decide whether or not to include it.

[Arnauti]

I'm a bit tired right now but wouldn't De gör den själva be They make it themselves?

[Zmrzlina]

Yes, but I guess the English sentence is a bit ambiguous.

[Anxiolytic]

How about 'De gör så själva'?

[_adaldo]

Can anybody see what it wrong with the first option, "Den gör de på egen hand"?

[NatalieBoa3]

Could someone else please explain? I am finding it difficult to understand the other two explanations as I wrote something similar to George.
I wrote "De gör det för sina själva".
I understand that I should have omitted "för" but I don't understand why the rest of it is wrong, i.e. "sina själva" or "sin själva".
Maybe if the explanations were worded differently I could understand them better.

[jacob738094]

How come in the sentence "She doesn't know who she is herself", the själv came right after the 'vet', but here I can't put the själva right after the 'gör'?