Chinese word

自力更生

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì lì gēng shēng

Meaning

  • verbrely on oneself

Example

失业后，她只能自力更生。shī yè hòu tā zhǐ néng zì lì gēng shēng

After losing her job, she can only rely on herself.

Illustration for 自力更生 (rely on oneself)

More examples

遭遇挫折后，他选择自力更生，不再依赖他人。zāo yù cuò zhé hòu tā xuǎn zé zì lì gēng shēng bú zài yī lài tā rén

After suffering a setback, he chose to rely on himself and no longer depend on others.

Core concept

After a setback, a person takes charge of rebuilding life and returns to ordinary stability without depending on others.

Common phrases

  • 重新自力更生chóng xīn zì lì gēng shēng

    become self-reliant again

  • 坚持自力更生jiān chí zì lì gēng shēng

    persist in self-reliance

Similar words

自立zì lì: Become able to manage daily life or work through one's own efforts.
独立dú lì: Make decisions and carry out tasks independently without relying on other people or organizations.
靠自己kào zì jǐ: Solve a problem by relying on personal ability and effort.
自救zì jiù: Get oneself out of danger or difficulty through one's own strength.

Definition in Chinese

靠自己的努力重建生活秩序或恢复正常状态，强调独立应对困难和自我恢复。kào zì jǐ de nǔ lì chóng jiàn shēng huó zhì xù huò huī fù zhèng cháng zhuàng tài qiáng diào dú lì yìng duì kùn nán hé zì wǒ huī fù

Word origin

The components 自 (zì, "self") and 力 (lì, "strength") pair with 更 (gēng, "renew") and 生 (shēng, "life") to create a single picture of independent recovery after hardship.

Usage tips

  • The word often carries a formal, weighty tone, so it can sound too strong in casual conversation about a small or temporary difficulty.

Other meanings

  • manage on one's ownverb
  • work independentlyverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 自力zì lìself-reliancenoun

Word lists with this word