King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Chinese symbol for “self”

自
zì
(bound form) self; oneself; from; since; naturally; as a matter of course

The closest CC-CEDICT match for self is 自 (zì), defined as: (bound form) self; oneself; from; since; naturally; as a matter of course.

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Characters and stroke order

自 zì
self; private, personal; from
radical 132 ⾃ · 6 strokes

Other Chinese words for “self”

WordPinyinMeaning
自我zì wǒthe self; oneself; self-; (psychology) ego
己jǐself; oneself
小我xiǎo wǒthe self; the individual
本我běn wǒid; the self

Related words

Other words that share a character with 自.

WordPinyinMeaning
自己zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own
自由zì yóufreedom; liberty; free; unrestricted
来自 (來自)lái zìto come from (a place); From: (in email header)
自然zì ránnature; natural
自动 (自動)zì dòngautomatic; voluntarily
自身zì shēnitself; oneself

See also: Japanese symbol for “self”.

Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Choosing Soft Sticks for Kids Games and Safe Play
  2. Best Padded Sticks for Self-Defense Training and Safety
  3. Best Lightweight Escrima Sticks for Speed and Quick Strikes
  4. Mixing Stick Lengths in Crafting and Construction
  5. Do Carved-Grip Escrima Sticks Improve Weapon Retention
  6. Best Short Sticks for Close-Range Drills and Training
  7. Best Escrima Books for Beginners and Clear Technique
  8. Are Aluminum Trainer Knives Safe for Beginners
  9. Best Rubber Training Knives for Kali Practice
  10. Best Eye Protection for Stick Training and Sparring