Questions & Answers about Я сам повторю это правило.
Сам adds the idea of “myself / personally” or “and not someone else”.
- Without сам: Я повторю это правило. – I’ll repeat this rule. (neutral)
- With сам: Я сам повторю это правило. – I’ll repeat this rule *myself (I’ll be the one to do it).*
The emphasis is usually:
- Either I, not another person (e.g. not the teacher, not my friend)
- Or that I don’t need help / I’ll take responsibility myself.
It does not automatically mean “alone in the room with nobody present”; it’s more about who takes the action and whose initiative it is.
Сам agrees in gender and number with the subject я (and therefore with the speaker):
- A man speaking: Я сам повторю это правило.
- A woman speaking: Я сама повторю это правило.
- About a neuter noun (rare with я, but e.g. with оно): оно само
- Plural: мы сами, они сами
So the form changes like this:
- Masculine: сам
- Feminine: сама
- Neuter: само
- Plural: сами