自学成才 (zì xué chéng cái) — (idiom) to become accomplished through self-study; self-taught and successful

Definition

Idiom meaning someone becomes skilled or successful entirely through self-study, without formal teachers or degrees. Used to praise self-made achievers.

idiom
to become accomplished through self-studyself-taught and successful

Examples

  • ，自学成才。
    Tā suī rán méi yǒu shàng guò dà xué, dàn tōng guò nǔ lì zì xué chéng cái le.
    Although he never attended university, he became self-taught and successful through hard work.
  • ，自学成才。
    Zài zhè ge háng yè lǐ, hěn duō yōu xiù de rén dōu shì zì xué chéng cái de.
    In this industry, many excellent people are self-taught and accomplished.
  • ，，自学成才。
    Tā cóng xiǎo xǐ huan huà huà, méi yǒu lǎo shī jiào, wán quán shì zì xué chéng cái.
    He has liked painting since childhood, had no teacher to teach him, and is entirely self-taught.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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

才 originally drew a sharp peg, not a sprout growing from the ground.

Open 才 →

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