(bound form) self; oneself

from; since; naturally; as a matter of course

a picture of 自 → a nose, the gesture for 'myself'

The character originally depicted a nose in profile. Just as English speakers point to their chests, Chinese speakers point to their noses when saying 'me,' so the nose became the symbol for self.

Words with 自

独自

dú zì

alone

自上而下

zì shàng ér xià

(idiom) from top to bottom; top-down

卧龙自然保护区

wò lóng zì rán bǎo hù qū

Wolong National Nature Reserve in Wenchuan county, northwest Sichuan, home of the giant panda 大熊貓|大熊猫[da4 xiong2 mao1]

自缢

zì yì

to hang oneself

临夏回族自治州

lín xià huí zú zì zhì zhōu

Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, in Gansu Province 甘肅省|甘肃省[Gan1 su4 Sheng3]

迳自

jìng zì

on one's own

通讯自动化

tōng xùn zì dòng huà

communications automation

通道侗族自治县

tōng dào dòng zú zì zhì xiàn

Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, in Huaihua City 懷化市|怀化市[Huai2 hua4 Shi4], Hunan

造茧自缚

zào jiǎn zì fù

to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising

自动化

zì dòng huà

to automate

连南瑶族自治县

lián nán yáo zú zì zhì xiàn

Liannan Yao Autonomous County, in Qingyuan City 清遠市|清远市[Qing1 yuan3 Shi4], Guangdong

连山壮族瑶族自治县

lián shān zhuàng zú yáo zú zì zhì xiàn

Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County, in Qingyuan City 清遠市|清远市[Qing1 yuan3 Shi4], Guangdong

More characters with 目