Meaning of 自由
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- freedom; liberty
- free; unrestricted
How to use 自由
自由 works as a noun meaning freedom and as an adjective meaning free or unrestricted. It often describes time, choice, or movement. Example: 周末我很自由。(Zhōumò wǒ hěn zìyóu.) I am very free on weekends.
自 (zì) means self, and 由 (yóu) means from or by way of, as in 理由 (lǐyóu) reason. Freedom is when your actions come from yourself.
Common mistake: Learners often use 自由 to mean free of charge, but that is 免费 (miǎnfèi). Also, for not busy, 有空 (yǒu kòng) is more natural than 自由 in everyday speech.
自由 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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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
由 yóu · to follow · 5 strokes
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- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 自由.
| 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself; (attributive) one's own |
| 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) |
| 理由 | lǐyóu | reason; grounds |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since |
| 由于 | yóuyú | due to; as a result of |
| 亲自 | qīnzì | personally; in person |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
| 各自 | gèzì | each; respective |
| 自身 | zìshēn | itself; oneself |
Questions about 自由
What does 自由 mean?
自由 (zìyóu) means "freedom; liberty; free; unrestricted" and is used as a noun and adjective.
How do you write 自由?
自由 is made of 2 characters: 自 (6 strokes), 由 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 自由 an HSK word?
Yes. 自由 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say free time in Chinese?
You can say 自由时间 (zìyóu shíjiān) for free time, especially in schedules. In casual talk, people often say 有空 (yǒu kòng) or 空闲时间 (kòngxián shíjiān).
Can 自由 be used as an adverb?
Yes, usually with 地 (de), as in 自由地生活 (zìyóu de shēnghuó), to live freely. Common phrases include 自由活动 (zìyóu huódòng), free activity time on a tour.