自修 (zì xiū) — to study on one's own; to self-study; to cultivate oneself morally; to engage in self-discipline

Definition

自修 covers both meanings: 'study on one's own' (academic self-study) and 'cultivate oneself morally' (moral self-discipline). The second sense is formal and written.

verb
to study on one's ownto self-studyto cultivate oneself morallyto engage in self-discipline

Examples

  • 自修。
    Tā měi tiān xià kè hòu dōu zài tú shū guǎn zì xiū.
    He self-studies at the library every day after class.
  • ，自修。
    Dà xué qī jiān, wǒ tōng guò zì xiū zhǎng wò le biān chéng.
    During college, I mastered programming through self-study.
  • ，自修。
    Chú le xué yè, tā yě zhù zhòng gè rén zì xiū.
    Besides his studies, he also focuses on personal self-cultivation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

自zìself
修xiūstudy or cultivate

自 means self and 修 means study or cultivate, describing studying by oneself.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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