径自 (jìng zì) — without permission; unilaterally (implying disregard for others)

Definition

An adverb meaning 'on one's own, without asking anyone' — implies acting unilaterally and ignoring others' opinions or authority. Carries a clearly negative tone, so it often appears in criticism or warnings (e.g. 不能径自… 'you can't just…').

adverb
without permissionunilaterally (implying disregard for others)

Examples

  • 径自。
    Tā méi tōng zhī rèn hé rén jiù jìng zì lí kāi le.
    He left without notifying anyone.
  • ，径自。
    Zhè jiàn shì nǐ bì xū hé tuán duì shāng liang, bù néng jìng zì zuò jué dìng.
    You have to discuss this with the team; you can't make a decision unilaterally.
  • ，径自。
    Tā bú gù quàn zǔ, jìng zì zǒu le jìn qù.
    Ignoring the dissuasion, he walked straight in without asking permission.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

径jìngdirectly
自zìoneself

径 means directly and 自 means oneself, so 径自 describes acting directly without consulting others.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 徑; 径 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng徑
Same sound today

The traditional form 徑 is built from 彳 and 巠, with 巠 giving the sound; the simplified 径 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 径 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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