The story of 自

self, from

At first, 自 was the picture of a human nose, however, people always like to point at their nose when they introduce themselves, so 自 gradually means 'the self', then derives the meaning of 'independence'. The original meaning of 'nose' was replaced by 鼻.

Vocabulary of 自

  • 自我 (ego)
  • 自私 (selfish)
  • 自由 (freedom)

Classification

Related Characters: