自小 (zì xiǎo) — from childhood; since childhood

Definition

A formal adverbial meaning 'since childhood / from a young age,' used before a verb to mark something true of one's whole life so far. Similar to 从小 but more literary and written.

verb
from childhoodsince childhood

Examples

  • 自小。
    Tā zì xiǎo jiù xǐ huan huà huà.
    He has liked painting since childhood.
  • 自小。
    Wǒ zì xiǎo shēng huó zài běi jīng.
    I have lived in Beijing since childhood.
  • 自小。
    Tā zì xiǎo yǎng chéng le dú shū de hǎo xí guàn.
    She developed the good habit of reading from childhood.

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zìfrom
小xiǎoyoung

自 gives the starting point, 小 gives the early years.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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