(zì yóu) - freedom, liberty; free, unrestricted in Mandarin
zìyóuTraditional: 自由
Translation
freedom, liberty; free, unrestricted
Word origin
自由 (zìyóu) 'freedom, liberty' joins 自 (zì, 'self') and 由 (yóu, 'from, by, cause'), literally 'from oneself', i.e. acting of one's own accord. 自 is a pictograph of a nose meaning 'self'; 由 is a pictograph used for 'from, owing to'.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 自 (zì, pictograph of a nose, 'self') + 由 (yóu, 'from, by')
Stroke order
自
由
Examples
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Freedom is every person's right.
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I want to live freely.
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Everyone wants freedom.
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He loves freedom.
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Children need some free time.
自由 (zì yóu) means freedom, liberty, or free. 自 means self and 由 means to follow or reason. Together they convey the idea of following one's own will. It functions as a noun (争取自由, fight for freedom), adjective (自由时间, free time), and adverb (自由地发言, to speak freely). Common compounds: 自由市场 (free market), 言论自由 (freedom of speech), 自由式 (freestyle). It is also a common Chinese given name.
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 13.