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 "since"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "since", including 自 (zì), 既 (jì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "since" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 自 (zì), 既 (jì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zì, jì — 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
- 既 jìalready; since; both... (and...)Useful words: 既然, 一如既往
Common words for these 2 "since" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 自 (zì) — so "since" 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既然jì ránsince; as; this being the case一如既往yī rú jì wǎng(idiom) just as in the past; as before; continuing as always既是jì shìis both ...(and...); since; as; being the case that
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 2 ways to say "since".
既 jì — already; since; both... (and...)
这家餐厅既干净又便宜。Zhè jiā cān tīng jì gān jìng yòu pián yi.This restaurant is both clean and cheap.
Common words: 既然 (jì rán)、一如既往 (yī rú jì wǎng)、既是 (jì shì)
All 2 characters
Open 自、既 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.