自立
zì lì · HSK 7
to stand on one's own feet
🧍 自 self + 立 to stand = stand on one's own (self-reliant)
自 means self/own and 立 means to stand upright. Together: to stand by yourself without support — independent and self-sustaining.
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.
立 — person standing on ground (大 over 一)
Pictograph of a person standing with arms outstretched on the ground line below. The original oracle bone form clearly shows a frontal human figure planted on the earth. The core meaning 'to stand' extended to 'establish, set up, erect.'