自我陶醉 (zì wǒ táo zuì) — narcissism; self-satisfaction; self-admiration

Definition

A set phrase meaning being lost in admiration of oneself — a NEGATIVE judgment on someone's self-absorption, stronger and more literary than plain 自满 ('merely complacent').

noun

narcissismself-satisfactionself-admiration

Examples

自我陶醉。
Tā de zì wǒ táo zuì ràng rén wú fǎ rěn shòu.
His narcissism is unbearable.
自我陶醉。
zì wǒ táo zuì Huì zǔ ài gè rén chéng zhǎng.
Self-satisfaction hinders personal growth.
自我陶醉。
Bú yào chén mí yú zì wǒ táo zuì.
Don't indulge in self-admiration.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

自我self

自zìself我wǒI

联合Coordinate

陶醉intoxicated

陶táopleased醉zuìdrunk

联合Coordinate

自我 points to the self and 陶醉 conveys being drunk with pleasure, so the self is intoxicated by itself.

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.

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

The glyph 我 originally drew a trident-like weapon. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write the pronoun "I", so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 我 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.