自 zì — from; self; oneself; since
这件事要靠你自己决定。Zhè jiàn shì yào kào nǐ zì jǐ jué dìng.You have to decide this matter yourself.
Common words: 自己 (zì jǐ)、来自 (lái zì)、自由 (zì yóu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "self"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "self", including 自 (zì), 己 (jǐ), 旁 (páng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "self" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 自 (zì), 己 (jǐ), 旁 (páng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zì, jǐ, páng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 自 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 自 zìfrom; self; oneself; sinceUseful words: 自己, 来自
- 己 jǐ6th heavenly stem; selfUseful words: 自己, 各抒己见
- 旁 pángbeside; one side; other; side; selfUseful words: 旁边, 一旁
Common words for these 3 "self" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 自 (zì) — so "self" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
自己zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own来自lái zìto come from (a place); From: (in email header)自由zì yóufreedom; liberty; free; unrestricted自己zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own各抒己见gè shū jǐ jiàneveryone gives their own view知己zhī jǐto know oneself; to be intimate or close; intimate friend旁边páng biānside; adjacent place一旁yī pángaside; to the side of旁观páng guānspectator; non-participant
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "self".
己 jǐ — 6th heavenly stem; self
我们要做好自己的事情。Wǒ men yào zuò hǎo zì jǐ de shì qing.We should do our own things well.
Common words: 自己 (zì jǐ)、各抒己见 (gè shū jǐ jiàn)、知己 (zhī jǐ)
旁 páng — beside; one side; other; side; self
他坐在我旁边。Tā zuò zài wǒ páng biān.He sits next to me.
Common words: 旁边 (páng biān)、一旁 (yī páng)、旁观 (páng guān)
All 3 characters
Open 自、己、旁 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.