自主 meaning in English
to act independently; to be autonomous; to be in control of one's own affairs
Meaning of 自主
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to act independently; to be autonomous; to be in control of one's own affairs
How to use 自主
自主 describes people, companies, or countries making their own decisions without outside control. It often appears in set phrases like 自主学习 (self-directed learning) and 独立自主 (independent and self-reliant). Example: 孩子应该学会自主。(Háizi yīnggāi xuéhuì zìzhǔ.) Children should learn to be independent.
自 (zì) means self, and 主 (zhǔ) means master, as in 主人 (zhǔrén) owner. Being 自主 means you are your own master.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 自主 with 自由 (zìyóu). 自由 means being free from limits, while 自主 means having the power to decide for yourself. Also keep the tones straight. Both syllables are falling then dipping: zì (4th) zhǔ (3rd), not zhū.
自主 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
自 zì · self · 6 strokes
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主 zhǔ · owner · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 自主.
| 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself; (attributive) one's own |
| 自由 | zìyóu | freedom; liberty; free; unrestricted |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) |
| 主人 | zhǔrén | owner; host |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal; major; primary |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle; bike |
| 大自然 | dàzìrán | nature (the natural world) |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since |
| 亲自 | qīnzì | personally; in person |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
Questions about 自主
What does 自主 mean?
自主 (zìzhǔ) means "to act independently; to be autonomous; to be in control of one's own affairs" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 自主?
自主 is made of 2 characters: 自 (6 strokes), 主 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 自主 an HSK word?
Yes. 自主 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 自主 and 独立?
独立 (dúlì) stresses standing alone or being separate, like an independent country or living on your own. 自主 stresses making your own choices. They are often used together as 独立自主.
Can 自主 be used before another verb?
Yes. It often works like an adverb meaning on one's own, as in 自主选择 (zìzhǔ xuǎnzé) to choose independently or 自主创业 (zìzhǔ chuàngyè) to start one's own business.