自

zì

Pinyin
zì
Pinyin (Plain)
zi
Tone
4
Strokes
6
Radical
自
Readings
zìziTone: 4(bound form) self; oneself; from; since; naturally; as a matter of courseOrder: 0Primary
Stroke Order Code
Speed
Stroke Order Data
["M 427 626 Q 433 633 517 750 Q 530 772 553 791 Q 571 809 554 824 Q 535 837 503 843 Q 473 849 461 842 Q 448 835 457 823 Q 469 799 422 678 Q 409 651 397 620 C 386 592 409 602 427 626 Z", "M 361 614 Q 318 648 297 641 Q 290 635 295 622 Q 314 540 316 536 Q 316 272 301 203 Q 282 121 311 78 Q 314 75 317 70 Q 327 55 339 69 Q 345 78 349 87 L 355 126 Q 358 154 358 197 Q 358 233 359 265 L 359 294 Q 360 364 363 414 L 364 442 Q 367 560 369 573 Q 369 577 369 579 C 371 607 371 607 361 614 Z", "M 618 108 Q 657 62 684 18 Q 696 -1 708 -1 Q 727 0 744 40 Q 763 83 759 138 Q 746 283 734 553 Q 731 589 750 615 Q 760 630 749 641 Q 727 663 667 689 Q 645 699 628 688 Q 580 666 427 626 L 397 620 Q 375 617 361 614 C 331 609 339 575 369 579 Q 393 579 605 629 Q 636 636 653 625 Q 692 591 676 149 Q 675 145 675 139 Q 671 121 657 124 C 637 102 606 122 618 108 Z", "M 363 414 Q 366 414 581 449 Q 606 453 597 467 Q 585 483 557 488 Q 530 491 364 442 C 335 434 333 410 363 414 Z", "M 359 265 Q 369 264 384 265 Q 499 283 584 293 Q 611 297 601 311 Q 589 327 562 334 Q 535 338 489 326 Q 419 308 359 294 C 330 287 329 267 359 265 Z", "M 349 87 Q 358 86 369 87 Q 450 102 618 108 C 648 109 666 110 657 124 Q 654 134 626 154 Q 608 166 573 159 Q 453 135 355 126 C 325 123 319 88 349 87 Z"]
Meaning
In Chinese, 自 mainly means “self” or “oneself,” and appears in many words about oneself (for example 自己 “self,” 自信 “self‑confidence”). It can also mean “from” in time or space expressions (for example 自从 “since,” 自北京来 “from Beijing”).
Metadata
Locale: en
Cached At: 5/8/2026, 10:02:14 PM

Usage

In modern Chinese, 自 most commonly appears as a preposition meaning “from” or “since,” especially in set phrases and compound words. Learners quickly meet 自 in words like 自己 (zìjǐ, oneself), 自行车 (zìxíngchē, bicycle), 自由 (zìyóu, freedom), and 自学 (zìxué, self‑study), where it carries the idea of “self” or something done independently. In these compounds, 自 often highlights the subject as the source or initiator of the action, so it’s strongly associated with “self, by oneself, on one’s own.” As an individual character in sentences, 自 is frequently paired with 从 (cóng) to form 自从 or used alone as 自…以来, both meaning “since” a certain time: e.g., 自从去年以后… (“since last year…”) or 自古以来 (“since ancient times”). It can also mark a starting point in space or time, similar to “from”: e.g., 自北京到上海 (“from Beijing to Shanghai”). In everyday learning materials, these temporal/locative uses and the “self‑” meaning in common compounds are the main ways students encounter 自.

Handwriting Notes

自 is a simple, compact character that looks like an oval or vertical “eye” shape with a small horizontal line near the top and a short vertical line running down the center. In neat handwriting, it fits into a roughly tall-oval or slightly rectangular space, with the top horizontal stroke clearly separated from the curved outer shape and the central vertical stroke stopping before the bottom. The overall impression is of a rounded outline, not a boxy square, and the interior line should stay centered so it doesn’t easily get confused with similar characters. In everyday handwriting, 自 often becomes more rounded and fluid: the outer curve may be drawn in a single smooth motion, the top horizontal may be shorter or lightly hooked, and the central line may be slightly slanted or not perfectly centered. Some writers make the whole character narrower or more elongated, while others draw a fuller, more circular outline; calligraphic styles may exaggerate this with thicker or more tapered strokes. Despite these variations, the key features—an enclosing curve, a short top stroke inside, and a central vertical—remain visible. Modern AI handwriting recognition systems (such as those in input methods on phones and tablets) are trained to handle these different personal styles and degrees of neatness so they can reliably recognize 自 from a wide variety of handwritten forms.

Description

自 is a common Chinese character meaning “self,” “oneself,” or “from/since” (as in time or place). It appears in many words about oneself, such as 自己 (zìjǐ, oneself) and 自信 (zìxìn, self-confidence), and as a preposition meaning “from,” as in 自北京来 (zì Běijīng lái, come from Beijing). It is pronounced zì in Mandarin.

Common Words

  • 自己zìjǐself; oneself
  • 自动zìdòngautomatic; voluntarily
  • 自由zìyóufreedom; free
  • 自信zìxìnself-confident; confidence
  • 自然zìránnature; natural
  • 自我zìwǒself; ego
  • 自学zìxuéself-study; to study on one's own
  • 自助zìzhùself-service; self-help
  • 自立zìlìto stand on one's own; be independent
  • 自愿zìyuànvoluntary; of one’s own free will
  • 自觉zìjuéself-aware; conscientious
  • 自尊zìzūnself-respect
  • 自私zìsīselfish; self-centered
  • 自满zìmǎncomplacent; self-satisfied
  • 自卑zìbēiself-abased; feeling inferior
  • 自强zìqiángto strive to become stronger; self‑improvement
  • 自救zìjiùto save oneself; self‑rescue
  • 自如zìrúwith ease; freely and naturally
  • 自满zìmǎnself-satisfied; conceited
  • 自律zìlǜself-discipline
  • 自制zìzhìself-control; self-made
  • 自主zìzhǔautonomous; to act on one’s own
  • 自费zìfèiat one’s own expense; self-funded
  • 自助餐zìzhùcānbuffet (self-service meal)
  • 自来水zìláishuǐtap water; running water
  • 自行车zìxíngchēbicycle
  • 自从zìcóngsince (a time); ever since
  • 自杀zìshāto commit suicide
  • 自取其辱zìqǔ qí rǔto bring disgrace on oneself; ask for humiliation
  • 自生自灭zìshēng zìmièto let something run its course; live and die on its own
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