oneself / even
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oneself
Used to highlight a person or thing and emphasize that exactly this one, and no other, is meant. It means 'persönlich' (personally) or 'in eigener Person' (in person).
Der König hat die Urkunde selbst unterschrieben.
The king signed the document himself.
even
Means 'sogar' (even) and is used to introduce surprising or unexpected information.
Selbst die besten Schüler machten bei dieser Aufgabe Fehler.
Even the best students made mistakes on this task.
The position of 'selbst' in the sentence completely changes its meaning. If it comes after the word it emphasizes, it means 'persönlich' (personally). If it comes before it, it means 'sogar' (even).
Der Chef selbst hat den Brief geschrieben.
The boss himself wrote the letter.
In the meaning 'persönlich' (personally), 'selbst' is often combined with verbs of doing or creating in order to emphasize one's own effort. Typical phrases are 'selbst machen' (to do/make oneself), 'selbst kochen' (to cook oneself), or 'selbst entscheiden' (to decide oneself).
Ich backe mein Brot immer selbst.
I always bake my bread myself.
When 'selbst' means 'sogar' (even), it introduces surprising information. It stands directly before the part of the sentence that is unexpected, whether that is the subject, an object, or a time expression.
Er arbeitet selbst am Wochenende.
He works even on weekends.
also / even
Auch and selbst can both highlight an unexpected person. selbst focuses especially directly on that exact person and sounds stronger, while auch often simply adds something, with the surprise depending on the context. Use selbst for the emphasized extreme case and auch for a less emphatic inclusion.
Selbst der neue Praktikant durfte bei der wichtigen Besprechung dabei sein.
Even the new intern was allowed to attend the important meeting.
Auch der neue Praktikant durfte bei der wichtigen Besprechung dabei sein.
Even the new intern was allowed to attend the important meeting.
