Meaning of 自愿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- voluntary
How to use 自愿
自愿 describes doing something by your own choice, with no pressure. It often comes before a verb or appears in set phrases like 自愿参加 (zìyuàn cānjiā, to take part voluntarily). Example: 这个活动是自愿的。 (Zhège huódòng shì zìyuàn de.) This activity is voluntary.
自 (zì) means self and 愿 (yuàn) means wish, so 自愿 is something you do because you yourself wish to. Think of 愿 from 愿意 (yuànyì), with 自 in front showing the wish comes from you, not from anyone else.
Common mistake: Learners often write 原 (yuán, original) instead of 愿, forgetting the 心 (heart) at the bottom. Also keep the tone on 愿 as fourth tone, yuàn, not second tone like 原.
自愿 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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愿 yuàn · wish · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 自愿.
| 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself; (attributive) one's own |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want |
| 自由 | zìyóu | freedom; liberty; free; unrestricted |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle; bike |
| 大自然 | dàzìrán | nature (the natural world) |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since |
| 亲自 | qīnzì | personally; in person |
| 愿望 | yuànwàng | desire; wish |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
| 各自 | gèzì | each; respective |
Questions about 自愿
What does 自愿 mean?
自愿 (zìyuàn) means "voluntary" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 自愿?
自愿 is made of 2 characters: 自 (6 strokes), 愿 (14 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 自愿 an HSK word?
Yes. 自愿 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 自愿 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 自愿 is written 自願.
What is the difference between 自愿 and 愿意?
愿意 (yuànyì) simply means to be willing or to want to do something. 自愿 stresses that a choice was made freely, without being forced, and it often sounds more formal, as in rules or notices.
How do you say volunteer in Chinese, and is it 自愿?
A volunteer person is usually 志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě), not 自愿. 自愿 describes the voluntary nature of an action, while 志愿者 names the person who volunteers.