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自称 (zì chēng) — (verb) to claim to be; to call oneself; to profess; (noun) self-proclaimed title; claim (of a title)

Definition

自称 (zì chēng) is 'to call oneself / to claim to be' — focus on the speaker's self-designation, not on a public assertion (use 声称/宣称 for that). Also a noun: the self-proclaimed title itself.

verb
to claim to beto call oneselfto profess
noun
self-proclaimed titleclaim (of a title)

Examples

  • 自称。
    Tā zì chēng shì gōng sī de chuàng shǐ rén.
    He claims to be the founder of the company.
  • 自称。
    Tā zì chēng néng gòu wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù.
    She claims to be able to complete this project.
  • 自称。
    Méi yǒu rén xiāng xìn tā de zì chēng.
    No one believes his self-proclaimed title.

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zìself
称chēngcall

“自” (self) and “称” (call) combine to mean someone calls themselves.

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 稱; 称 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
爯
爯chēng稱chēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 稱 pairs 禾 (rice) with 爯, a part giving the sound; it is explained as measuring rice. The simplified 称 is a later shorthand.

Open 称 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & Speech

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