The character 自 — “self”: how to write it and what it means
self
The Chinese character 自 is read zì and means “self”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 自
自 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 自, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 自 is made of
A picture of a nose: when Chinese people say “me”, they point at their nose.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 自
- 自己oneselfHSK 2
- 来自come fromHSK 3
- 自行车bicycleHSK 3
- 自信self-confidentHSK 4
- 自习study on one's ownHSK 4
- 自学teach oneselfHSK 4
- 自然nature; naturallyHSK 4
- 大自然natureHSK 4
- 自从sinceHSK 5
- 独自alone, by oneselfHSK 5
- 自觉conscientious; be awareHSK 5
- 出自come from, be taken fromHSK 5
- 自动automaticHSK 5
- 自由freedom; freeHSK 5
- 亲自personally, oneselfHSK 5
- 各自each, individuallyHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 自?
自 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 自 mean?
自 means “self”. It appears in 自己 (“oneself”), 来自 (“come from”), 自行车 (“bicycle”), 自信 (“self-confident”).
How do you pronounce 自?
自 is read zì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 自 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 自 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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