TongTong
Sign in

自由 (zì yóu) — (noun) freedom; liberty; (adjective) free; unrestricted

Definition

Means 'freedom / free' as a right or unrestricted state (e.g. 自由选择, 言论自由). 任意 is closer to 'at will, arbitrary' (often negative); 自在 is a feeling of being at ease, not a formal right.

noun
freedomliberty
adjective
freeunrestricted
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 自由。
    zì yóu Shì měi gè rén dōu yīng gāi yōng yǒu de quán lì.
    Freedom is a right that everyone should have.
  • 自由。
    Nǐ kě yǐ zì yóu xuǎn zé nǐ xǐ huan de gōng zuò.
    You can freely choose the job you like.
  • 自由。
    Xué shēng kě yǐ zì yóu dì fā biǎo yì jiàn.
    Students can freely express their opinions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

自zìself
由yóufollow

自 means 'self' and 由 means 'follow'; together they suggest following oneself, hence freedom.

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.

It began as a drawing of new shoots or leaves growing upward from a plant-like base.

Open 由 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsRights & Citizenship2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.