Questions & Answers about Он сам решает задачу.
What does сам mean in this sentence, and what nuance does it add?
Сам roughly corresponds to himself / by himself / on his own.
In Он сам решает задачу, сам adds emphasis:
- He is doing the solving himself, not someone else.
- He is doing it without help, not relying on others.
So the basic meaning He is solving the problem becomes more like:
- He is solving the problem himself.
- He solves the problem on his own.
Could you just say Он решает задачу without сам? How would the meaning change?
Yes, Он решает задачу is a perfectly correct sentence.
Difference:
- Он решает задачу – neutral statement: He is solving a/the problem (no special emphasis).
- Он сам решает задачу – emphasizes independence or contrast:
- He, not someone else, solves it.
- He solves it without help.
So сам adds an extra shade of meaning, but is not grammatically required.
Where can сам go in this sentence, and does the word order change the emphasis?