Skip to main content

自: self; from

By October 20, 2014January 28th, 2021Chinese Word, Japanese Word, Language-Learning, Music
 

自 zì

radical 132 | preposition
: self; oneself; from; since; private

Kun Reading

自ら | みずから mizukara

adverbial noun | noun
: for one’s self; personally

自ずから | おのずから onozukara

adverb
: naturally; as a matter of course

自と | おのずと onozuto

adverb
: naturally

On Reading

自 | じ ji

prefix
: self-
: from …

 Usage:

自己 zi4ji3: oneself [じこ jiko]

自戀[恋] zi4lian4: narcissism [自己愛 | じこあい jikoai]

自家 zi4jia1: self; own [じか jika]
自大 zi4da4: arrogant

狂妄自大 kuang2 wang4 zi4da4: arrogant and conceited

自來[来] zi4lai2: from the beginning; always; to come of one’s own accord

自來[来]水 zi4lai2 shui3: tap water; running water

自信 zi4xin4: to have confidence in oneself; self-confidence
[じしん jishin: self-confidence; confidence (in oneself)]
自找 zi4zhao3: to suffer as a consequence of one’s own actions; you asked for it; to bring it on oneself (something unpleasant)
自然 zi4ran2: nature; naturally [しぜん shizen]
自從 zi4cong2: since (a time); ever since
自由 zi4you2: freedom [じゆう jiyou]
自在 zi4zai: free; unrestrained; comfortable; at ease [じざい jizai: freely; at will]
自覺[觉] zi4jue2: conscious; one’s own initiative
自願 zi4yuan4: voluntary
自動[动] zi4dong4: automatic; voluntary [じどう jidou]
自行車 zi4xing2che1: bicycle [自転車 | じてんしゃ jitensha]
各自 ge4zi4: each; apiece [かくじ kakuji]
來[来]自 lai2zi4: come from; from: (email header)
親[亲]自 qin1zi4: personally
獨[独]自 du2zi4: alone [独自|どくじ dokuji: original]
私自 si1zi4: private; personal; secretly [私自身 | わたしじしん watashi jishin: myself]



Japanese common word / expression / idiom
自分自身 | じぶんじしん jibun jishin: oneself; myself

自分のために | じぶんのために jibun no tameni
: for oneself; for one’s own sake; on one’s own account

そのこと自体は | そのことじたいは sono koto jitai wa…
: as such…

卑下自慢 | ひげじまん hige jiman
: Too much humility is pride

卑下も自慢の中 | ひげもじまんのうち higemo jiman no uchi
: taking pride in one’s humility; he that humbleth himself wishes to be exalted; too much humility is pride

自らの手で | みずからのてで muzikara no te de
: with one’s own hands

自ら進んで | みずからすすんで mizukara susun de
: on one’s own initiative; off your own bat

*改過自新 | かいかじしん kaika jishin
: changing one’s attitude or conduct and making a new start; turning over a new leaf

桃李物言わざれども下自ら蹊を成す | とうりものいわざれどもしたおのずからみちをなす
touri mono iwazaredomo shita onozukara michi o nasu
: Good wine speaks for itself

自慢じゃないが… | じまんじゃないが jiman janai ga…
: I don’t want to boast but…

ご自愛ください | ごじあいください gojiai kudasai
: please take care of yourself; please be careful not to… (concerning one’s health or well-being)



Chinese idiom
自由自在 zi4you2 zi4zai
: free and easy; carefree; leisurely

逍遙自在 [逍遥自在] xiao1 yao2 zi4zai
: free and at leisure; unfettered; outside the reach of the law (of criminal); at large

自私自利 zi4 si1 zi4 li4
: everything for self and selfish profit; with no regard for others; selfish; mercenary

自知之明 zi4 zhi1 zhi1 ming2
: knowing oneself; self-knowledge

知人者智,自知者明 zhi1 ren2 zhe3 zhi4 , zi4 zhi1 zhe3 ming2
: those who understand others are clever, but those who know themselves are truly wise (from Laozi’s 道德經 Dao4 de2 jing1)

自相殘殺 [自相残杀] zi4 xiang1 can2 sha1
: to massacre one another; internecine strife

自生自滅 [自生自灭] zi4 sheng1 zi4 mie4
: to emerge and perish on its own; to run its course

自不量力 zi4 bu4 liang4 li4
: to overestimate one’s capabilities

好自為之 [好自为之] hao3 zi4 wei2 zhi1
: to do one’s best; to shape up; to behave

捫心自問 [扪心自问] men2 xin1 zi4 wen4
: to ask oneself honestly; to search in one’s heart

投繯自縊 [投缳自缢] tou2huan2 zi4yi4
: to hang oneself

悔過自新 [悔过自新] hui3 guo4 zi4 xin1 OR *改過自新 [改过自新] : to repent and start afresh; to turn over a new leaf

習慣成自然 [习惯成自然] xi2 guan4 cheng2 zi4 ran2
: habit becomes nature; get used to something and it seems inevitable; second nature

天才出自勤奮[奋] tian1 cai2 chu1 zi4 qin2 fen4
: genius comes from hard effort. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration (Thomas Edison)

如人飲水,冷暖自知 [如人饮水,冷暖自知] ru2 ren2 yin3 shui3 , leng3 nuan3 zi4 zhi1
: the person who drinks it knows best whether the water is hot or cold (Zen proverb); self-awareness comes from within; to know best by personal experience

強中自有強中手 [强中自有强中手] qiang2 zhong1 zi4 you3 qiang2 zhong1 shou3
: However strong you are, there is always someone stronger. There is always something more to learn (applied to art or learning). Never be satisfied to rest on you laurels. There is no room for complacency

泥菩薩過江,自身難保 [泥菩萨过江,自身难保] ni2 pu2 sa4 guo4 jiang1 , zi4 shen1 nan2 bao3
: like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can’t guarantee his own safety; unable to save oneself, let alone others

車到山前必有路,船到橋頭自然直 [车到山前必有路,船到桥头自然直] che1 dao4 shan1 qian2 bi4 you3 lu4 , chuan2 dao4 qiao2 tou2 zi4 ran2 zhi2
: lit. When we get to the mountain, there’ll be a way through and when the boat gets to the pier-head, it will straighten with the current. fig. Everything will turn out for the best. Let’s worry about it when it happens.

與人方便,自己方便 [与人方便,自己方便] yu4 ren2 fang1 bian4 , zi4 ji3 fang1 bian4
: Help others, and others may help you

老王賣瓜,自賣自誇 [老王卖瓜,自卖自夸] lao3 wang2 mai4 gua1 , zi4 mai4 zi4 kua1
: every potter praises his own pot; all one’s geese are swans

 Etymology:
象形 Pictographic.
Picture of a nose. (Chinese people still point to their noses when referring to themselves).



 Look-alike:
目 mu4: eye
[kun: め me: eye; sight
on: もく moku: order]



“Small Nose / Self” radical #132

 Music:
改变自己 – Wang Lee Hom 王力宏

作詞:王力宏
作曲:王力宏

今早起床了 看鏡子裡的我
忽然發現我髮型睡的有點KUSO
一點點改變 有很大的差別
你我的力量也能改變世界

最近比較煩 最近情緒很Down
每天看新聞都會很想大聲尖叫
但髒話沒用 大家只會嫌兇
我改變自己發現大有不同
新一代的朋友我們 好好的加油
大家一起大聲的說 Na Na Na Na Na~

我可以改變世界 改變自己 改變龜毛 改變小氣
要一直 努力努力 永不放棄 才可以 改變世界 C’mon 改變自己

今早起床了 覺得頭有點痛
可能是二氧化碳太多 氧氣不夠
一點點改變 有很大的差別
你我的熱情也能改變世界

只能代表自己 沒有政治立場
即使這世界讓我看得十分緊張
要調整自己
恩~
沒想到一點就能 畫龍點睛

新一代的朋友我們 好好的加油
大家一起大聲的說 Na Na Na Na Na~

我可以改變世界 改變自己 改變龜毛 改變小氣
要一直 努力努力 永不放棄 才可以 改變世界 C’mon 改變自己

我可以改變世界 改變自己 改變龜毛 改變小氣
要一直 努力努力 永不放棄 才可以 改變世界 C’mon 改變自己

credit: Wang Lee Hom 王力宏

Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary