Sentence #346472 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 自私 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
自zìself; oneself
自 is a single shape of 6 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidDrawn from a nose. The usual explanation is that people point to their nose to mean “me”, so it came to mean “self”.
私sīpersonal; private
禾grain · hé
厶private · sī
How to write 自私
自 6 strokes · 私 7 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 自私 (zìsī). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
自私 (zìsī) means “selfish” or “selfishness”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it zìsī: zì with a 4th tone, then sī with a 1st tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 自私 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zisi with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 自私 from the suggestions. Typing zisi into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
自私 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
A dictionary gives you the words. A native teacher shows you how to use them. Start with a free 30-minute intro call.
Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
自zì4th tone, falling
私sī1st tone, high and level
