The pronoun ‘сам’ means ‘self / oneself / by oneself’. It is used in two ways:

• to show that a person is doing something alone or without help 
• to emphasize the person or thing that is performing the action

‘Сам’ agrees with the subject in gender, number and case:

Use 1: To say that a person is doing something alone, without help 

1. Я сам сделал домашнее задание.
I did the homework myself.

2. Она сама приготовила ужин.
She cooked dinner herself.

3. Окно само открылось.
The window opened by itself.

Use 2: To emphasize who exactly does something

1. Дети сами рассказали правду.
The children themselves told the truth.

2. Директор сам ответил на письмо.
The director personally replied to the email. 

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