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自给自足 (zì jǐ zì zú) — self-sufficiency, autarky; to be self-sufficient and self-reliant

Definition

An idiom meaning 'self-sufficient' — producing everything one needs without outside help, often used for economies, communities, or households. The reduplication 自…自… emphasizes that both producing and meeting needs are done by oneself.

idiom
self-sufficiencyautarkyto be self-sufficient and self-reliant

Examples

  • 自给自足，。
    Zhè ge shān cūn yì zhí guò zhe zì jǐ zì zú de shēng huó, jī hū bù hé wài jiè jiāo yì.
    This mountain village has always lived a self-sufficient life, barely trading with the outside world.
  • ，自给自足。
    Zài kùn nan shí qī, zì jǐ zì zú de jīng jì mó shì fǎn ér gèng yǒu rèn xìng.
    In difficult times, a self-sufficient economic model is actually more resilient.
  • 自给自足，、。
    Gǔ dài nóng yè shè huì zhuī qiú zì jǐ zì zú, měi jiā měi hù zì jǐ zhǒng liáng shi, zhī bù.
    Ancient agricultural societies pursued self-sufficiency — every household grew their own grain and wove their own cloth.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

自给supply oneself
自zìself给gěisupply
主谓Subject + predicate
自足be enough oneself
自zìself足zúsufficient
主谓Subject + predicate

自给 says supplying oneself, and 自足 says being enough oneself; together they describe needing nothing outside.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 給; 给 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé給gěi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 給 uses 糸 (silk) for meaning and 合 for sound, and its old sense was rich, abundant, perhaps referring to precious silk; 给 is a later simplified form.

Open 给 →

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.

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

Open 足 →
Appears in
Economy & TradeIdioms & Set Phrases

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