How to say “nature” in Chinese

自然

zìrán

nature; naturally

noun · HSK 4 · topic “Nature and weather”

“Nature” in Chinese is 自然, zì rán: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

自然 is read zì rán: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

zì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

rán — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

自

zì — self

A picture of a nose: when Chinese people say “me”, they point at their nose.

然

rán — so; however

At the bottom, 灬 “fire”.

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “自然”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 自然. Tap the sound icon to listen.

城市里的孩子离大自然太远了。chéngshìlideháizilídàzìrántàiyuǎnleCity kids are too far removed from nature.
这里的自然环境很好zhèlǐdezìránhuánjìnghěnhǎoThe natural environment here is very good.
中国哲学很重视人和自然的关系。ZhōngguózhéxuéhěnzhòngshìrénhézìrándeguānxìChinese philosophy places great importance on the relationship between people and nature.
人类一直在探索大自然的秘密。rénlèiyìzhízàitànsuǒdàzìrándemìmìHumanity has never stopped exploring the secrets of nature.
人与自然应该和谐相处。rényǔzìrányīnggāihéxiéxiāngchǔPeople and nature should live in harmony.
这里的自然风光非常迷人。zhèlǐdezìránfēngguāngfēichángmírénThe natural scenery here is stunning.

More words from the lesson “The Earth, rivers and the ocean”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “nature” in Chinese?

“Nature” in Chinese is 自然, pinyin zìrán.

What does 自然 mean?

自然 (zìrán) means “nature; naturally”.

How do you write 自然?

自然 is 2 characters: 自 (zì) — self; 然 (rán) — so; however. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 自然?

自然 is read zìrán. Tones: zì — fourth tone, rán — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“nature” in the lesson “The Earth, rivers and the ocean”

This word is from the topic “Nature and weather” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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