己 (jǐ) - Self & oneself

己Tone 3

jǐ ｜ 3 strokes ｜ radical: 己

慧佳

己 · jǐ

Self;

oneself;

personal;

the sixth of the ten Heavenly Stems;

used to denote the sixth in a series.

Selfoneselfpersonal

Usage highlights

OneselfKnow oneselfSelfSelfish

Synonyms

  • 自— self; oneself
  • 我— I; me

Antonyms

  • 人— others; people
  • 彼— that; the other

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Know yourself (知己).
  • Self-cultivation (克己).
  • Selfishness (自私自利).
  • Self-discipline (律己).

Collocations

  • Oneself(自己)
  • Know oneself(知己)
  • Self-restraint(克己)
  • Self-interest(利己)
  • Self-cultivation(修己)
  • Self-discipline(律己)

Idioms

  • Know yourself and know your enemy(知己知彼)
  • Sacrifice oneself for the public good(克己奉公)
  • Take the blame oneself(引咎自责)
  • Each goes his own way(各奔前程)
  • Exert oneself to the utmost(竭尽全力)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Represents the self in Confucian philosophy, emphasizing self-cultivation and restraint.
  • The sixth of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干), used in traditional calendrical systems.
  • In the I Ching, it is associated with the Earthly Branch and symbolic of personal development.

FAQ