To think something in words, as if speaking to yourself internally.
To think something inside your head, like you are talking to yourself.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To think something in words, forming a silent internal statement or question.
"I looked at the empty seat and said to myself, 'I'm definitely on the wrong train.'"
'What's done cannot be undone,' she said to herself.
— William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1 (paraphrased internal form; the speech is Lady Macbeth's)
To make a personal decision or resolution internally.
"I said to myself that I would never make the same mistake again."
I said to myself: 'I'm going to do this my way.'
— Frank Sinatra, 'My Way' (1969) — paraphrase of the song's central theme; exact lyric is 'I did it my way'
To direct speech back to oneself — fully transparent.
To think something inside your head, like you are talking to yourself.
Extremely common in narration and storytelling. Used to report a character's internal monologue. Not usually a phrasal verb in the strict sense, but a verb phrase with a reflexive pronoun.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "say to oneself" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.