Chinese word

独立自主

Pronunciation

Pinyindú lì zì zhǔ

Meaning

  • adjectiveindependent

Example

她很独立自主，自己照顾自己。tā hěn dú lì zì zhǔ zì jǐ zhào gù zì jǐ

She is very independent and takes care of herself.

Illustration for 独立自主 (independent)

More examples

公司鼓励员工保持独立自主的工作态度。gōng sī gǔ lì yuán gōng bǎo chí dú lì zì zhǔ de gōng zuò tài dù

The company encourages employees to maintain an independent attitude toward their work.

Core concept

A person or group chooses its own course, makes its own decisions, and manages its own affairs without relying on others.

Common phrases

  • 实现独立自主shí xiàn dú lì zì zhǔ

    achieve independence

  • 维护独立自主wéi hù dú lì zì zhǔ

    maintain independence

  • 独立自主的原则dú lì zì zhǔ de yuán zé

    principle of independence

Similar words

独立dú lì: Able to live and act without needing help from other people.
自立zì lì: Able to support oneself emotionally and financially without depending on others.
自主zì zhǔ: Guided by personal ideas and judgment when deciding how to act.

Definition in Chinese

不依靠别人，自己做决定并能照顾自己。bù yī kào bié rén zì jǐ zuò jué dìng bìng néng zhào gù zì jǐ

Word origin

独立自主 (dúlìzìzhǔ, "independent and self-directed") is a compound of 独立 (dúlì, "independent") and 自主 (zìzhǔ, "self-directed"), so the word links self-sufficiency with self-determination.

Usage tips

  • For casual conversation, the full expression may sound weighty, so a shorter description often fits better when talking about one person.

Other meanings

  • self-reliantadjective
  • self-directedadjective

Related words

  • 自主权zì zhǔ quánautonomynoun
  • 独立性dú lì xìngindependencenoun

Word lists with this word