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独自 (dú zì) — alone, by oneself

Definition

独自 emphasizes doing something alone, without others — slightly more emotional ('on one's own') than the neutral 单独. Modify a verb directly (独自去, 独自生活).

adverb
aloneby oneself

Examples

  • 独自。
    Tā xǐ huan dú zì sàn bù.
    He likes to go for a walk alone.
  • 独自？
    Nǐ xiǎng dú zì qù hái shì hé wǒ men yì qǐ?
    Do you want to go alone or with us?
  • 独自。
    Tā dú zì shēng huó le hěn duō nián.
    She lived alone for many years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

独dúalone
自zìself

独 means alone, 自 means self, so together they mean by oneself.

Characters in this word

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 獨; 独 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ獨dú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獨 pairs 犬 (dog) with 蜀, which gives the sound; the simplified 独 is a shorthand.

Open 独 →

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 →
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