TongTong
Sign in

自生自灭 (zì shēng zì miè) — to let things take their own course without intervention; to let nature take its course and fade away

Definition

Idiom: to let something live or die on its own, without help or interference — used for things left to fade out naturally, like abandoned projects or passing trends.

idiom
to let things take their own course without interventionto let nature take its course and fade away

Examples

  • ，自生自灭。
    Nà xiē xiǎo xiàng mù méi rén guǎn, zhǐ néng ràng tā men zì shēng zì miè.
    Those small projects have no one looking after them; we can only let them run their course.
  • ，，自生自灭。
    Jì rán shì shí yàn shì lǐ de xì jūn, wǒ men jiù bù gān yù, ràng tā zì shēng zì miè ba.
    Since these are bacteria in the lab, we won't interfere — just let them take their course.
  • 自生自灭，。
    Hěn duō wǎng luò liú xíng yǔ zuì zhōng dōu huì zì shēng zì miè, wú rén zài tí.
    Many internet buzzwords will eventually run their course and no one talks about them anymore.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

自生self grow
自zìself生shēnggrow
偏正Modifier + head
自灭self die
自zìself灭mièdie
偏正Modifier + head

自生 and 自灭 run side by side: 自 self, 生 grow, 灭 die, so things follow their own course.

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.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
烕
烕miè滅miè
Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

Open 灭 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsIdioms & Set Phrases

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.