自用 (zì yòng) — for private use (as opposed to public or others…

Definition

Two distinct senses: (1) 'for one's own use' — as opposed to public or shared use; (2) in the chengyu 刚愎自用, 'self-willed / opinionated'.

verb

for private use (as opposed to public or others' use)(used in 刚愎自用) opinionatedself-willed

自用，。
Zhè tái diàn nǎo shì wǒ zì yòng de, bú jiè gěi bié rén.
This computer is for my personal use; I don't lend it to others.
，。
Tā gāng bì zì yòng, cóng bù jiē shòu pī píng.
He is self-willed and stubborn, never accepting criticism.
自用。
Zhè xiē zì yòng wù pǐn qǐng suí shēn xié dài.
Please carry these personal belongings with you.

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zìoneself

自 (oneself) and 用 (use) give the sense of using for oneself or personal use.

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.

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

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.