Chinese word

自理

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì lǐ

Meaning

  • verbtake care of oneself

Example

他现在可以自理，不用别人帮忙。tā xiàn zài ké yǐ zì lǐ bú yòng bié rén bāng máng

He can take care of himself now and doesn't need anyone else's help.

Illustration for 自理 (take care of oneself)

More examples

生病后他仍努力自理，不想麻烦家人。shēng bìng hòu tā réng nǔ lì zì lǐ bù xiǎng má fán jiā rén

After falling ill, he still tried to take care of himself and did not want to trouble his family.

Core concept

The person remains in charge of their own everyday life, handling routine needs and personal affairs instead of handing them to someone else.

Common phrases

  • 能够自理néng gòu zì lǐ

    can take care of oneself

  • 不能自理bù néng zì lǐ

    be unable to take care of oneself

  • 学会自理xué huì zì lǐ

    learn to take care of oneself

Similar words

自己照顾zì jǐ zhào gù: Look after personal well-being and daily matters through one's own efforts.
独立dú lì: Run one's life and make decisions without depending on others.
自给自足zì jǐ zì zú: Supply one's own daily needs and costs through one's own means.

Definition in Chinese

自己照顾自己的日常生活和个人事务，不依赖他人帮助。zì jǐ zhào gù zì jǐ de rì cháng shēng huó hé gè rén shì wù bù yī lài tā rén bāng zhù

Word origin

In the compound, 自 (zì, "self") identifies the owner of the action and 理 (lǐ, "arrange or manage") supplies the idea of organizing, so the action turns back onto one's own life.

Usage tips

  • This verb often follows a modal verb meaning "can" or "cannot" in everyday speech, making it a way to state ability rather than an instruction.

Other meanings

  • manage oneselfverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 自理能力zì lǐ néng lìability to take care of oneselfnoun

Word lists with this word