来自
láizì · HSK 2
come from
📍➡️ 来 (come) + 自 (from/self) = come from
来 means 'come' and 自 means 'from' or 'self/origin'. Together 来自 literally reads 'come-from', used to state where someone or something originates. Example: 我来自西班牙 = I come from Spain.
来 — pictograph of a wheat plant with grain heads
来 originally depicted a stalk of wheat with drooping grain heads, and meant 'wheat' in oracle bone script. It was later borrowed phonetically to write the unrelated verb 'to come,' which became its dominant meaning. The original 'wheat' sense was taken over by 麥 (now 麦).
自 — pictograph of a nose
自 originally depicted a human nose, shown frontally with the bridge and nostrils. Ancient Chinese pointed to their own nose to mean 'me,' so 自 shifted to mean 'self' or 'oneself.' A new character 鼻 was later created to carry the original 'nose' meaning.
lái zì · HSK 3
to come from
📍 来自 = 来 (come) + 自 (from/self)
来 means 'to come' and 自 originally depicted a nose, later extended to 'self' and 'from'. Together 来自 literally reads 'come-from', used to state origin: 我来自西班牙 = I come from Spain.
来 — pictograph of a wheat plant with grain heads
来 originally depicted a stalk of wheat with drooping grain heads, and meant 'wheat' in oracle bone script. It was later borrowed phonetically to write the unrelated verb 'to come,' which became its dominant meaning. The original 'wheat' sense was taken over by 麥 (now 麦).
自 — pictograph of a nose
自 originally depicted a human nose, shown frontally with the bridge and nostrils. Ancient Chinese pointed to their own nose to mean 'me,' so 自 shifted to mean 'self' or 'oneself.' A new character 鼻 was later created to carry the original 'nose' meaning.