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自己 (zì jǐ) — (reflexive pronoun) oneself, -self; one's own

Definition

Pronoun for 'oneself / one's own' — used reflexively (爱自己) or to emphasize doing something alone (我自己去). More personal than the formal 本人; 自身 is a written 'oneself' for abstract contexts.

pronoun
(reflexive pronoun) oneself-selfone's own

Examples

  • 自己。
    Nǐ yào ài zì jǐ.
    You should love yourself.
  • 自己。
    Zhè shì wǒ zì jǐ de jiā.
    This is my own home.
  • 自己。
    Wǒ zì jǐ qù chāo shì.
    I'll go to the supermarket myself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

自zìself
己jǐself

自 and 己 both point to the person, together giving oneself or one's own.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The 己 shape is a picture of a silk rope used to bind objects.

Open 己 →
Appears in
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