We've already learned short reflexive pronouns like se and își that attach directly to verbs. But when you need to emphasize "oneself" or use a reflexive pronoun after a preposition, Romanian uses special stressed forms for the third person (himself, herself, themselves).
Unlike the short forms, these stressed pronouns sit independently in the sentence. They do not change based on the gender or number of the subject:
| Case | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Accusative | sine | oneself, himself, herself, themselves |
| Dative | sie / sieși | to oneself, to himself, to herself, to themselves |
The Accusative: sine
Use sine when the pronoun follows a preposition (like cu - with, la - at/to) or when it is the direct object receiving emphasis (preceded by the preposition pe). It is often used when talking about self-reflection or personal boundaries.
| Anyone who wants to help must know themselves first. | Oricine vrea să ajute trebuie să se cunoască pe sine mai întâi. |
| She is too harsh with herself, but she should have more leniency. | Ea este prea aspră cu sine, dar ar trebui să aibă mai multă indulgență. |
It also forms fixed noun phrases, most notably stima de sine (self-esteem).
| Self-esteem is a secret of success. | Stima de sine este un secret al succesului. |
The Dative: sie and sieși
When an action is done to or for oneself, we use the Dative forms sie or sieși. Both mean the same thing, but sieși is slightly longer and more emphatic. To create a strong emphasis, they are almost always paired with the short reflexive își earlier in the sentence.
| The doctor always tells himself that everything is fine. | Medicul își spune mereu sieși că totul este bine. |
| She promises herself that she will regain her energy. | Ea își promite sieși că o să își recapete energia. |
| He is too harsh, he forbids everything to himself. | El este prea aspru, își interzice totul sie. |
Finally, notice how both cases can appear together when discussing how someone treats themselves:
| The man who loves himself does not hurt himself. | Bărbatul care se iubește pe sine nu își face rău sieși. |