help oneself

se servir

Prendre soi-même de la nourriture ou d’autres choses, souvent après y avoir été invité.

En anglais simple : To take food or other things yourself, often after someone has invited you to do so.

• Help yourself to a biscuit.
• The guests helped themselves to drinks.
• Can I help myself to a clean towel?

Comment l'utiliser : help oneself to something (Please help yourself to some soup.)

Synonymes : serve oneself

Expressions courantes : help oneself, help oneself to something

se retenir, se maîtriser

Contrôler ses actes ou ses émotions ; s’emploie surtout pour dire qu’on ne peut pas se retenir.

En anglais simple : To control your actions or feelings; usually used when saying you cannot stop yourself.

• I ate another biscuit; I could not help myself.
• She could not help herself and started laughing.
• Can you help yourself when someone offers you chocolate?

Comment l'utiliser : cannot help oneself (I knew I should stop laughing, but I could not help myself.)

Synonymes : control oneself, restrain oneself

Expressions courantes : cannot help oneself, help oneself

s'aider soi-même

Agir pour améliorer sa propre situation ou résoudre soi-même son problème.

En anglais simple : To do something that makes your own situation better or solves your own problem.

• You can help yourself by asking for advice.
• She helped herself recover by taking regular walks.
• People need opportunities to help themselves.

Comment l'utiliser : help oneself by doing something (You can help yourself by getting enough sleep.)

Expressions courantes : help oneself, help oneself recover