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自助 (zì zhù) — self-service

Definition

Used in compound nouns like 自助餐 ('buffet') or 自助旅行 ('self-guided travel') to mean 'do-it-yourself' — it modifies another noun rather than standing alone as a verb.

verb
self-service
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ men zài yì jiā zì zhù cān tīng chī le wǎn fàn.
    We had dinner at a self-service restaurant.
  • 自助。
    Zhè ge chāo shì tí gōng zì zhù jié zhàng fú wù.
    This supermarket offers self-service checkout.
  • 自助？
    Nǐ shì guò zì zhù lǚ xíng ma?
    Have you tried self-service travel?

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
助zhùhelp

自 “self” and 助 “help” together mean self-service or helping 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
力力lìstrong arm
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě助zhù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

助 pairs 力, a strong arm, with 且, which gives the sound; the meaning is help with strength.

Open 助 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Business & Commerce

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