Comparison of '亲自' and '自己'

In Chinese, both "亲自" (qīnzì) and "自己" (zìjǐ) are used to indicate actions or possession, but they have different nuances and usage contexts.

亲自 (qīnzì)

"亲自" is used to emphasize personal involvement or direct participation in an action. It indicates that the subject is personally present or directly engaged in performing the action, often implying a sense of responsibility or importance attached to the action.

• For example: 他亲自去接客人。(Tā qīnzì qù jiē kèrén.) - He personally went to greet the guests.
• For example: 我们亲自去采购食材。(Wǒmen qīnzì qù cǎigòu shícái.) - We personally went to purchase the ingredients.

自己 (zìjǐ)

"自己" is used to indicate self-action or self-possession. It refers to the subject itself or oneself, often implying ownership or self-responsibility.

• For example: 他自己做了晚饭。(Tā zìjǐ zuòle wǎnfàn.) - He cooked dinner himself.
• For example: 我自己学会了游泳。(Wǒ zìjǐ xuéhuìle yóuyǒng.) - I learned swimming by myself.

Key Differences

• Emphasis: "亲自" emphasizes personal involvement or direct participation, while "自己" emphasizes self-action or self-possession.
• Usage: "亲自" is often used to stress personal effort or importance attached to the action, while "自己" is used to indicate self-action or self-responsibility.

Examples

Here are some example sentences illustrating the differences between "亲自" and "自己":

• 亲自 (qīnzì):
  • He personally went to greet the guests. - 他亲自去接客人。(Tā qīnzì qù jiē kèrén.)
  • We personally went to purchase the ingredients. - 我们亲自去采购食材。(Wǒmen qīnzì qù cǎigòu shícái.)
• 自己 (zìjǐ):
  • He cooked dinner himself. - 他自己做了晚饭。(Tā zìjǐ zuòle wǎnfàn.)
  • I learned swimming by myself. - 我自己学会了游泳。(Wǒ zìjǐ xuéhuìle yóuyǒng.)