38. A pronoun which refers to the same person or thing as the subject
of the verb in the sentence, but is used in some other relation than
subject of that verb, is said to be used "reflexively", or to be a
"reflexive pronoun".
39. The first and second personal pronouns, "mi", "ni", and "vi",
("ci") are used for the reflexive pronouns of the first and second
persons. There can be no ambiguity, since words such as "me, myself,
us, ourselves," can refer to no one else than the person or persons
speaking; while words such as "you, yourself, yourselves (thee,
thyself)," can refer to no one else than the person or persons
addressed:
Mi vidas min, I see myself.
Mi diris al mi, I said to myself.
Ni havas tapisxon sub ni, we have a carpet under us.
Ni amuzis nin, we amused ourselves.
(Ci trovas domon apud ci, thou findest a house near thee.)
Vi diras al vi, you say to yourself (yourselves).
Vi amuzas vin, you amuse yourself (yourselves).
40. When the verb is in the third person, a pronoun of the third person,
used otherwise than as the subject, might or might not refer to the
subject of that verb. For example, "He sees a bird near him," may mean
that the subject sees a bird near himself, or near another person.
If such a pronoun of the third person is intended to refer to the
subject of the verb, Esperanto uses a special reflexive pronoun "si"
(accusative "sin"), which means "him(self)", "her(self)", "it(self)",
"them(selves)", according to the gender and number of the verb:
Li amuzas sin, he amuses himself.
Arturo vidis birdon apud si, Arthur saw a bird near him(self).
Sxi trovas floron apud si, she finds a flower near her(self).
Mario trovis sin sur blua tapisxo,
Mary found herself on a blue carpet.
La tapisxo havas diversajn kolorojn en si,
the carpet has various colors in it(self).
La birdo kasxas sin sub la folioj,
the bird hides itself under the leaves.
Ili amuzas sin, they amuse themselves.
La viroj havas segxojn apud si,
the men have chairs near them(selves).
La virinoj trovas florojn apud si,
the women find flowers near them(selves).
La arboj havas cxerizojn sur si,
the trees have cherries on them(selves).
Sub si la infanoj trovis molan tapisxon,
under them(selves) the children found a soft carpet.
[Footnote: From the very fact that "si" always refers to the subject of
the verb, it is evident that "si" can never itself be used as subject or
part of the subject of the verb.]