自己 (zì jǐ) — (reflexive pronoun) oneself, -self; one's own

Definition

Pronoun for 'oneself / one's own' — used reflexively (爱自己) or to emphasize doing something alone (我自己去). More personal than the formal 本人; 自身 is a written 'oneself' for abstract contexts.

pronoun
(reflexive pronoun) oneself-selfone's own

Examples

  • 自己。
    Nǐ yào ài zì jǐ.
    You should love yourself.
  • 自己。
    Zhè shì wǒ zì jǐ de jiā.
    This is my own home.
  • 自己。
    Wǒ zì jǐ qù chāo shì.
    I'll go to the supermarket myself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

自zìself
己jǐself

自 and 己 both point to the person, together giving oneself or one's own.

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 →

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

The 己 shape is a picture of a silk rope used to bind objects.

Open 己 →
Appears in
100 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 3.0 Level 2500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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