Chinese word

私自

Pronunciation

Pinyinsī zì

Meaning

  • adverbwithout permission

Example

别让他私自做决定。bié ràng tā sī zì zuò jué dìng

Don't let him make a decision without permission.

Illustration for 私自 (without permission)

More examples

他私自更改了合同条款，导致双方争议。tā sī zì gēng gǎi le hé tóng tiáo kuǎn dǎo zhì shuāng fāng zhēng yì

He changed the contract terms without permission, causing a dispute between both parties.

Core concept

A decision or action stays with one individual instead of passing through the people entitled to approve it.

Common phrases

  • 私自做决定sī zì zuò jué dìng

    make a decision without permission

  • 私自做主sī zì zuò zhǔ

    decide on one's own

  • 私自更改sī zì gēng gǎi

    change without permission

  • 私自占用sī zì zhàn yòng

    occupy without permission

Similar words

擅自shàn zì: Carrying out an action independently despite lacking the authority to do so.

Definition in Chinese

未经许可或未征求他人意见就单方面做出决定或采取行动。wèi jīng xú kě huò wèi zhēng qiú tā rén yì jiàn jiù dān fāng miàn zuò chū jué dìng huò cái qǔ xíng dòng

Word origin

The compound 私 (sī, "private") + 自 (zì, "self") presents an action as private and self-directed, giving it the sense of acting outside an agreed authority.

Usage tips

  • As an adverb, it normally modifies an action or decision rather than a person, so it describes what someone does instead of labeling someone's character.

Opposites

Word lists with this word