Chinese

自由

zìyóu

free; unconstrained

HSK 2
TOCFL 4

Etymology graph

inherited
borrowed
derived
parts
meaning component
sound component
related

點擊節點放大 · Click a node to zoom in

Origin

Attestable from at least the Han dynasty, initially as a verb phrase meaning "to follow oneself" then an adjective meaning "to be free."

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Lineage

characterChinese自 “self, oneself; one's own”
characterChinese由 “cause; reason”

Sources

HSK / TOCFL word lists — Facts (levels)
教育部《國語辭典簡編本》 (Taiwan MOE) — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW
Written form — n/a
Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Wiktionary: 自由