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A2 noun #7,000 most common 8 min read

自负

zìfù Top 7,000

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips 自负 in 30 Seconds

Explanation 自负 in your Level:

At the A1 level, you only need to know the basic idea that '自负' (zì fù) is a negative word for someone who thinks they are too good. Think of it as 'too much pride'. You might see it in simple stories about people who are not humble. It's different from '自信' (zì xìn), which is good confidence. If you see '自负' in a warning on a sign, it just means 'you are responsible'. But for now, just remember: 自负 = bad pride.

At the A2 level, you can start using '自负' to describe people's personalities in simple sentences. For example, '他很自负' (He is very conceited). You should also learn the very common phrase '后果自负' (hòuguǒ zìfù), which you will see on many signs in China. It means 'bear the consequences yourself'. This is useful when you want to tell someone that they should be careful because if they make a mistake, it's their own fault. Remember, '自' means 'self' and '负' means 'to carry' or 'responsibility'.

At the B1 level, you should understand the nuance between '自负' (conceit) and '自信' (confidence). You will encounter '自负' in more complex texts, like character descriptions in novels or news articles criticizing a person's behavior. You should also learn formal phrases like '自负盈亏' (responsible for profits and losses), which is common in business Chinese. You are now expected to know that '自负' is almost always a negative character trait unless it's in a legal/formal 'responsibility' context.

At the B2 level, you should be able to use '自负' in discussions about psychology and character development. You can explain why a character in a movie is '自负'—perhaps because they are very talented but don't respect others. You should also be familiar with related words like '傲慢' (arrogant) and '狂妄' (wildly conceited) and be able to explain the differences. In writing, you can use '自负' to create more sophisticated arguments about the dangers of overconfidence in leadership or personal growth.

At the C1 level, you should recognize '自负' in classical literature and high-level academic writing. You might see it in phrases like '自负其才' (conceited about one's talent). You should understand its philosophical implications in Chinese culture, where 'modesty' (谦虚) is a core virtue. You can use '自负' to analyze historical figures who failed due to their hubris. You should also be comfortable with all its functional uses in legal contracts and formal disclaimers without needing to check a dictionary.

At the C2 level, you have a masterly grasp of '自负'. You can distinguish the subtle shades of meaning between '自负', '自矜', '自傲', and '自大'. You can use the word in poetic or highly formal contexts to discuss the human condition or the nature of the ego. You understand the historical evolution of the word from 'relying on oneself' to 'being conceited'. You can use it effortlessly in any register, from a casual insult to a complex legal clause or a deep philosophical treatise on self-awareness.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

自负 in 30 Seconds

自负 (zì fù) means conceit or arrogance, describing someone who overestimates their own importance or abilities in a negative way.
It differs from '自信' (healthy confidence) by implying a lack of humility and a refusal to listen to others.
In formal contexts like contracts or warnings, it means 'to bear responsibility' (e.g., '后果自负' - bear the consequences yourself).
It is a common character flaw in literature and drama, often leading to a character's downfall or failure.

The Chinese term 自负 (zì fù) is a complex word that primarily functions as an adjective or a noun, oscillating between the psychological trait of conceit and the legal/functional concept of bearing responsibility. In its most common social usage, it describes a person who is overly self-confident to the point of being arrogant or haughty. This nuance is crucial for English learners: while 自信 (zì xìn) is the positive 'self-confidence' we all strive for, 自负 is the shadow version where that confidence has crossed into a lack of humility and a disregard for others' opinions. The character 自 means 'self,' and 负 can mean 'to carry' or 'to rely on.' Thus, etymologically, it suggests someone who 'carries only themselves' or 'relies solely on themselves,' often to their own detriment.

Social Connotation: In social circles, calling someone 自负 is a critique of their character. It implies they have an inflated ego and believe they are superior to those around them.
Legal/Formal Context: In formal or legal warnings, it takes on a neutral, literal meaning: 'to bear responsibility.' For instance, '后果自负' (hòuguǒ zìfù) means 'bear the consequences yourself.'

他因为过于自负，最终失去了所有朋友。(He lost all his friends because he was too conceited.)

Understanding the boundary between 自信 and 自负 is a key milestone in mastering Chinese social nuances. A student might be praised for being 自信 in an exam, but a leader might be criticized for being 自负 in a boardroom if they refuse to listen to their advisors. This word appears frequently in literature to describe the 'hubris' of a tragic hero, as well as in daily gossip when discussing someone's annoying attitude.

投资有风险，盈亏自负。(Investment involves risk; you are responsible for your own profits and losses.)

Psychological Depth: Psychologically, 自负 is often seen as a defense mechanism—a mask for underlying insecurity, though in Chinese culture, it is more often viewed as a lack of the virtue of 'modesty' (谦虚).

这种才华横溢却又极其自负的人很难打交道。(People who are talented but extremely conceited are hard to deal with.)

Using 自负 correctly requires understanding its role as either a predicative adjective or a part of a fixed legalistic phrase. When describing a person's character, it usually follows an intensifier like 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng), or 过于 (guòyú). For example, '他太自负了' (He is too conceited). In this structure, it functions much like any other adjective in Chinese, where no verb 'to be' (shì) is required before the adjective if an intensifier is present.

不要因为一点小成就就变得自负。(Don't become conceited just because of a small achievement.)

The 'Responsibility' Pattern: In the secondary meaning of 'bearing responsibility,' 自负 often follows the noun describing what is being borne. The most common pattern is [Noun] + 自负. Examples include '文责自负' (the author is responsible for the content) and '自负盈亏' (responsible for one's own profits and losses).

When used in a literary or formal context, 自负 can also be followed by a specific quality the person is proud of, often using the structure '自负其...' (proud of one's...). For instance, '自负其才' means to be conceited about one's own talent. This is a more advanced construction used in written Chinese to provide specific detail about the source of the arrogance.

他在学术界非常自负，从不引用他人的研究。(He is very conceited in academia and never cites others' research.)

Comparison with '骄傲' (Jiāo'ào): While '骄傲' can be positive (proud of someone) or negative (arrogant), '自负' is almost exclusively negative when describing personality, or strictly functional when describing responsibility.

如果违反规定，一切后果由当事人自负。(If the rules are violated, all consequences shall be borne by the party involved.)

You will encounter 自负 in several distinct environments. In daily life, it's a common term in character assessments. If you are watching a Chinese TV drama (C-Drama), the 'arrogant CEO' (霸道总裁) or the 'genius but rude' protagonist is often described by other characters as 自负. It serves as a plot device to show the character's flaw that they must eventually overcome through humility or love.

In Professional Settings: In business and law, the word is ubiquitous in contracts and disclaimers. Whenever you see a sign that says 'Keep your valuables safe, the management is not responsible for loss,' the Chinese version will likely end with '损失自负' (sǔnshī zìfù).

停车场内车辆受损，本公司概不负责，损失自负。(Damage to vehicles in the parking lot is not the responsibility of this company; losses are borne by the owner.)

In educational and literary settings, teachers use this word to warn students against becoming complacent. A common saying is '自负是进步的绊脚石' (Conceit is the stumbling block of progress). In news reports, an official or a public figure might be criticized for their 自负 if they make a major mistake due to overconfidence in their own judgment.

他那种自负的态度让团队里的每个人都很反感。(His conceited attitude makes everyone in the team feel resentful.)

In Literature: Classic Chinese novels often use 自负 to describe talented scholars who fail their imperial exams because they didn't study hard enough, thinking they were already perfect.

文章千古事，得失寸心知。莫要太自负。(Writing is a matter for the ages, and only the heart knows the gain or loss. Do not be too conceited.)

The most frequent mistake English speakers make with 自负 is confusing it with 自信 (zì xìn). In English, 'confidence' is almost always good. In Chinese, there is a very sharp line between the two. If you tell a Chinese friend '我很自负' (I am very conceited) when you mean 'I am very confident,' you will accidentally insult yourself and sound like a narcissist.

Mistake #1: Confusing with '自信': Always use '自信' for healthy self-belief. Use '自负' only when the confidence is excessive and negative.
Mistake #2: Misunderstanding the Legal Context: Beginners often see '自负' in a warning sign and think the sign is calling them 'conceited'. Remember that in phrases like '后果自负', it means 'responsibility'.

Incorrect: 我对我的汉语水平很自负。(I am very conceited about my Chinese level.) - Unless you mean you are arrogant!
Correct: 我对我的汉语水平很自信。(I am very confident in my Chinese level.)

Another mistake is using 自负 to mean 'proud' in the sense of 'I am proud of you.' In Chinese, that would be 为...感到自豪 (wèi... gǎndào zìháo). 自负 is always about one's own internal ego or one's own legal responsibility; it is never used to express pride in someone else's achievements.

Mistake: 他的成功让他很自负。(His success made him very conceited.) - This is grammatically correct but implies he became a worse person.

Mistake #3: Usage as a Noun: While it can be a noun (conceit), it's rarely used as 'his conceit' (他的自负) in spoken Chinese; it's more common to say '他这个人的自负' or simply use it as an adjective '他很自负'.

To truly master 自负, you must compare it to its synonyms and near-synonyms. Each has a slightly different flavor of arrogance. Understanding these will help you choose the right word for the right situation.

自负 (Zìfù) vs. 傲慢 (Àomàn): 自负 focuses on the internal state—thinking too highly of oneself. 傲慢 focuses on the external behavior—treating others with disrespect or looking down on them. You can be 自负 in your head without being 傲慢 to people's faces, though they often go together.
自负 (Zìfù) vs. 狂妄 (Kuángwàng): 狂妄 is a much stronger word. It implies 'wild arrogance' or 'delusions of grandeur.' Someone who is 狂妄 might claim they can do the impossible, while someone 自负 just thinks they are better than they actually are.
自负 (Zìfù) vs. 骄傲 (Jiāo'ào): 骄傲 is the most versatile. It can mean 'proud' (positive) or 'arrogant' (negative). 自负 is more specific to the 'excessive self-estimation' aspect of arrogance.

他不仅自负，而且对下属非常傲慢。(He is not only conceited but also very haughty towards his subordinates.)

When you want to express the 'responsibility' aspect without using 自负, you can use 承担责任 (chéngdān zérèn). However, 自负 is the standard choice for the specific idiomatic structures mentioned earlier. In academic writing, you might see 自恃 (zìshì), which means 'to rely on (one's talent/status)'—it's very close to 自负 but even more formal.

自恃才高的人往往容易陷入自负的泥潭。(People who rely on their high talent are often prone to falling into the mire of conceit.)

How Formal Is It?

Fun Fact

The evolution from 'relying on oneself' to 'conceit' reflects a cultural value: while self-reliance is good, relying *only* on oneself without listening to others is seen as a flaw (conceit).

Pronunciation Guide

UK /dzìː fû/

US /dzìː fû/

Both syllables are 4th tone, so they receive equal, sharp stress.

Rhymes With

义父 (yìfù) 束缚 (shùfù) 致富 (zhìfù) 巨富 (jùfù) 师傅 (shīfu - though 2nd is neutral) 赐予 (cìyǔ - partial) 赋予 (fùyǔ - partial) 制服 (zhìfú - partial)

Common Errors

Pronouncing 'zi' as 'zee' (English style) instead of the Chinese retroflex/tight vowel.
Mixing up the 4th tone with the 2nd tone (fú), which would change the meaning.
Pronouncing 'fu' as 'fyu'.
Failing to emphasize the sharp drop in pitch for both characters.
Confusing the 'z' sound with a soft 's' sound.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 3/5

Common in literature and signs, but requires distinguishing from other 'zi-' words.

Writing 4/5

The character '负' can be tricky to remember and write correctly for beginners.

Speaking 3/5

Easy to say, but hard to use with the correct social nuance.

Listening 3/5

Distinguishing between zìfù and zìxìn in fast speech is vital.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

自己 (Self) 负责 (Responsible) 自信 (Confidence) 骄傲 (Proud) 以后 (After/Consequence)

Learn Next

谦虚 (Humble) 傲慢 (Arrogant) 狂妄 (Wildly conceited) 虚荣 (Vanity) 自卑 (Inferiority)

Advanced

恃才傲物目中无人不可一世自命不凡居功自傲

Grammar to Know

Adjective as Predicate

他[很]自负。 (No 'is' needed, but '很' is usually required.)

Noun + 自负 Pattern

后果自负。 (Common in formal warnings.)

Cause and Effect with 因...而

他因自负而失败。 (He failed due to conceit.)

Degree with 到...程度

他自负到不听建议的程度。 (He is conceited to the point of not listening.)

Adverbial with 地

他自负地大笑。 (He laughed conceitedly.)

Examples by Level

他太自负了。

He is too conceited.

Subject + Adverb + Adjective

我不喜欢自负的人。

I don't like conceited people.

Negative structure with '不喜欢'

自负是不好的。

Conceit is not good.

Using the word as a noun/subject

他很自负，不听话。

He is very conceited and doesn't listen.

Compound sentence

你不要自负。

Don't be conceited.

Imperative '不要'

这个孩子有点自负。

This child is a bit conceited.

'有点' (a bit) softens the adjective

自负的人没有朋友。

Conceited people have no friends.

Noun phrase '自负的人'

他因为自负失败了。

He failed because of conceit.

Cause and effect with '因为'

后果自负。

Bear the consequences yourself.

Fixed phrase: Noun + 自负

他虽然有才华，但是很自负。

Although he has talent, he is very conceited.

'虽然...但是...' structure

请看清说明，责任自负。

Please read the instructions clearly; you are responsible for yourself.

Imperative + responsibility phrase

过于自负会让你失去机会。

Being too conceited will make you lose opportunities.

'过于' (excessively) modifying the adjective

他以前很谦虚，现在很自负。

He used to be humble, but now he is very conceited.

Contrast using '以前' and '现在'

如果你这样做，后果自负。

If you do this, you bear the consequences.

Conditional '如果'

他的自负让他听不进建议。

His conceit makes him unable to listen to advice.

'让' (make/cause) causative structure

那是一个自负的年轻人。

That is a conceited young man.

Attributive '的' before a noun

这家公司现在是自负盈亏。

This company is now responsible for its own profits and losses.

Economic term '自负盈亏'

他表现得非常自负，让大家很不舒服。

He behaved very conceitedly, making everyone uncomfortable.

Complement of manner with '得'

自信是好事，但不要变成自负。

Confidence is a good thing, but don't let it turn into conceit.

'变成' (become/turn into)

这篇文章文责自负。

The author is responsible for the content of this article.

Standard editorial phrase

他因为自负而轻视了对手。

He underestimated his opponent because of his conceit.

'因为...而...' (because... thus...)

我们应该远离那些自负的人。

We should stay away from those conceited people.

'应该' (should) + '远离' (stay away)

他的自负导致了项目的失败。

His conceit led to the failure of the project.

'导致' (lead to) + negative result

自负的人往往看不见自己的缺点。

Conceited people often cannot see their own flaws.

'往往' (often/tend to)

他那高度的自负掩盖了他的不安全感。

His high degree of conceit masks his insecurity.

'掩盖' (to cover/mask)

在处理这件事上，你表现得太自负了。

In handling this matter, you acted too conceitedly.

'在...上' (in the aspect of...)

他一直以自负著称，很少有人能和他共事。

He has always been known for his conceit; few people can work with him.

'以...著称' (known for...)

这种自负的态度在职场中是非常危险的。

This kind of conceited attitude is very dangerous in the workplace.

'在...中' (in/during...)

他自负到了不听取任何专家意见的程度。

He was conceited to the point of not listening to any expert opinion.

'...到...的程度' (to the extent of...)

所谓的自负，往往源于对自身能力的误判。

The so-called conceit often stems from a misjudgment of one's own abilities.

'源于' (stems from/originates in)

他自负地认为没有人能超过他。

He conceitedly thought that no one could surpass him.

Adverbial use with '地'

这种自负不仅害了他也害了团队。

This conceit not only harmed him but also harmed the team.

'不仅...也...' (not only... but also...)

他自负其才，从不把同龄人放在眼里。

He was conceited about his talent and never took his peers seriously.

Literary phrase '自负其才'

历史上有许多将领因自负而招致惨败。

Many generals in history have brought about crushing defeats due to conceit.

'招致' (to incur/bring about)

这种深植于性格中的自负是很难改变的。

This conceit, deeply rooted in the character, is very difficult to change.

'深植于' (deeply rooted in)

他那近乎狂妄的自负让他在学术界毁誉参半。

His near-delusional conceit has made him a controversial figure in academia.

'毁誉参半' (mixed praise and blame)

自负往往是由于缺乏真正的自省能力。

Conceit is often due to a lack of true self-reflection ability.

'由于' (due to) + '缺乏' (lack)

他年轻时极度自负，晚年才学会了谦卑。

He was extremely conceited in his youth and only learned humility in his later years.

Contrast across time

他的成功在很大程度上要归功于他的自信，而非自负。

His success is largely due to his confidence, not his conceit.

'归功于' (attribute to) + '而非' (rather than)

在文学作品中，自负常被作为英雄悲剧的根源。

In literary works, conceit is often treated as the root of heroic tragedy.

Passive structure '被作为'

自负者往往在自我陶醉的幻象中走向毁灭。

The conceited often march toward destruction within the illusion of self-intoxication.

High-level vocabulary '自我陶醉' and '幻象'

他那不可一世的自负，终究敌不过残酷的现实。

His insufferable conceit was ultimately no match for the harsh reality.

Idiom '不可一世' (insufferably arrogant)

自负与自卑往往是硬币的两面，共生于脆弱的灵魂之中。

Conceit and inferiority are often two sides of the same coin, coexisting within a fragile soul.

Metaphorical and philosophical construction

他在权力的巅峰逐渐变得自负，听不进任何逆耳之言。

At the peak of power, he gradually became conceited and could not listen to any unpleasant truths.

Idiom '逆耳之言' (unpleasant but helpful advice)

这种由成功滋养出来的自负，最终成了他进一步发展的桎梏。

This conceit, nourished by success, eventually became a shackle to his further development.

Metaphor '桎梏' (shackles/fetters)

唯有通过深刻的自省，才能剥离那层名为自负的虚假外壳。

Only through deep self-reflection can one peel away that false shell called conceit.

'唯有...才能...' (only... can...)

自负不仅是对他人的轻慢，更是对自我的放逐。

Conceit is not only a slight to others but also an exile of the self.

Philosophical '不仅...更是...' construction

在智者的眼中，自负不过是愚昧的一种表现形式。

In the eyes of the wise, conceit is but a manifestation of ignorance.

'不过是' (is nothing but)

Common Collocations

过于自负

极度自负

后果自负

自负盈亏

文责自负

自负其才

盲目自负

性格自负

生性自负

自负的态度

Common Phrases

后果自负

— To bear the consequences oneself. Often used as a stern warning.

严禁烟火，违者后果自负。

自负盈亏

— To be responsible for one's own profits and losses. A standard business term.

国有企业应当自负盈亏。

文责自负

— The writer is solely responsible for the content. Common in magazines and newspapers.

来稿请自留底稿，文责自负。

盈亏自负

— Same as 自负盈亏, used in financial and investment contexts.

股市有风险，盈亏自负。

损失自负

— To bear the loss oneself. Common in disclaimers.

贵重物品请随身携带，如有丢失，损失自负。

责任自负

— To take full responsibility for one's actions.

成年人应当对自己的行为责任自负。

自负其能

— To be conceited about one's own ability.

他自负其能，不屑于团队合作。

自负其高

— To be conceited about one's high status or talent.

他自负其高，从不参加这种聚会。

自负感

— A sense of conceit or self-importance.

他强烈的自负感让他看不起所有人。

自负心

— A conceited heart/mind; similar to ego.

由于自负心作怪，他拒绝了别人的帮助。

Often Confused With

自负 vs 自信

Confidence (positive) vs Conceit (negative). Using zìfù instead of zìxìn is a major error.

自负 vs 自大

Arrogance. Zìdà is more informal and simpler, whereas zìfù has psychological and legal layers.

自负 vs 骄傲

Pride. Jiāo'ào can be positive (proud) or negative (arrogant); zìfù is almost always negative for personality.

Idioms & Expressions

"自负不凡"

— To consider oneself extraordinary; to be very conceited.

他自负不凡，总觉得自己怀才不遇。

Literary

"自以为是"

— To consider oneself always right; opinionated.

他这个人太自以为是，从来不听别人的意见。

Common

"傲气凌人"

— To be so arrogant as to bully or look down on others.

他虽然有钱，但傲气凌人，大家都不喜欢他。

Formal

"不可一世"

— To think one is the greatest in the world; insufferably arrogant.

他赢了比赛后就变得不可一世了。

Strong

"目空一切"

— To look down on everything; to be supercilious.

他那种目空一切的态度得罪了很多人。

Literary

"唯我独尊"

— To think of oneself as the most important; overbearing.

他在公司里一向是唯我独尊，没人敢反对他。

Strong/Figurative

"旁若无人"

— As if no one else is around; can mean self-absorbed or arrogant.

他在图书馆大声说话，旁若无人。

Neutral/Negative

"自命清高"

— To think of oneself as pure and above worldly concerns; holier-than-thou.

他自命清高，不愿与那些商人交往。

Negative

"居功自傲"

— To be arrogant because of one's achievements.

立了功之后千万不能居功自傲。

Formal

"恃才傲物"

— To be arrogant and look down on others because of one's talent.

古代很多文人都有恃才傲物的毛病。

Literary

Easily Confused

自负 vs 自信

Both start with '自' (self) and relate to self-estimation.

自信 is healthy self-belief; 自负 is unhealthy, excessive pride that ignores reality.

自信的人成功，自负的人失败。

自负 vs 自大

Both mean arrogant.

自大 is 'thinking you are big' (simple arrogance); 自负 is 'relying only on yourself' (deeper conceit).

他这个人很自大，总觉得自己了不起。

自负 vs 傲慢

Both describe an arrogant person.

傲慢 is about the rude behavior toward others; 自负 is about the internal high opinion of oneself.

他很自负，所以对人很傲慢。

自负 vs 自豪

Both relate to pride.

自豪 is a positive feeling of pride in an achievement; 自负 is a negative character trait.

我为我的祖国感到自豪。

自负 vs 负责

Both use the character '负' (bear/carry).

负责 is a verb/adj meaning 'to be responsible/conscientious'; 自负 is 'self-responsible' or 'conceited'.

他是一个很负责的老师。

Sentence Patterns

S + 很/太 + 自负

他太自负了。

[Noun] + 自负

后果自负。

虽然...但是很自负

他虽然聪明，但是很自负。

自负盈亏

公司现在自负盈亏。

因 + 自负 + 而 + [Result]

他因自负而得罪了很多人。

自负的 + Noun

他那自负的态度让人受不了。

自负其...

自负其才的人往往容易失败。

自负与...共生

自负与自卑共生。

Word Family

Nouns

自负感 (zìfùgǎn) - sense of conceit

自负心 (zìfùxīn) - conceited mind

Adjectives

自负的 (zìfù de) - conceited

过于自负的 (guòyú zìfù de) - over-conceited

自信 (zìxìn) - confidence

自卑 (zìbēi) - inferiority

自大 (zìdà) - arrogance

责任 (zérèn) - responsibility

后果 (hòuguǒ) - consequence

How to Use It

frequency

Common in both spoken character descriptions and formal legal/business warnings.

Common Mistakes

Using '自负' to mean 'confident'. → 自信 (zìxìn)
This is the most common error. '自负' is a criticism; '自信' is a compliment.
Saying '我对他很自负' to mean 'I am proud of him'. → 我为他感到自豪。
You cannot use '自负' for other people's achievements.
Thinking '后果自负' means 'the consequences are arrogant'. → It means 'bear the consequences yourself'.
In this fixed phrase, '自负' means 'to bear/take responsibility'.
Writing '自付' instead of '自负'. → 自负
'自付' (zìfù) sounds the same but means 'to pay for oneself' (like a bill).
Using '自负' as a positive trait in a resume. → 自信 or 负责
Never put '自负' in your resume unless you want to tell the boss you are arrogant!

Tips

Using '太' with 自负

Since '自负' is negative, it is very commonly paired with '太' (too) or '过于' (excessively). This emphasizes the negative nature of the trait.

The Virtue of Modesty

In China, even if you are the best, you are expected to say '哪里哪里' (not at all) when praised. Being '自负' is the direct opposite of this cultural ideal.

Legal Signs

If you see '自负' on a sign in a park or building, don't take it personally! It's just a legal disclaimer saying you are responsible for your own safety.

Softening the Blow

If you need to describe someone as conceited but want to be polite, use '他有点自负' instead of '他很自负'.

Character '负'

The bottom part of '负' is '贝' (shell), which relates to money/value. This helps you remember its use in '自负盈亏' (profits and losses).

Tone Accuracy

Both characters are 4th tone. If you hear two sharp downward sounds starting with 'z' and 'f', it's likely '自负'.

Business Chinese

In a business context, '自负' is not an insult. It refers to the financial independence of an entity.

Self-Confidence vs. Conceit

Always double-check if you want to say '自信' (good) or '自负' (bad). This is the #1 mistake for learners.

Ego Defense

In psychological discussions in Chinese, '自负' is often linked to '自尊心' (self-esteem) that has become distorted.

The Heavy Self

Imagine the 'self' (自) as a heavy weight that someone is 'carrying' (负) on their back, making them walk with their head tilted too far back.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of someone 'carrying' (负) too much 'self' (自) on their back. They are so heavy with themselves that they can't look around at others.

Visual Association

Imagine a person looking in a mirror and seeing themselves as 10 times larger than they actually are. They are 'inflated'.

Word Web

自 (Self) 负 (Carry/Bear) 自信 (Confidence) 自大 (Arrogance) 自尊 (Self-esteem) 负责 (Responsible) 后果 (Consequence) 谦虚 (Humble)

Challenge

Try to find three warning signs in a Chinese neighborhood. See if any of them use the word '自负'. Then, try to describe a villain from a movie using '很自负'.

Word Origin

The term '自负' comes from ancient Chinese texts. '自' (zì) originally meant 'nose' but evolved to mean 'self'. '负' (fù) depicts a person carrying something (originally a shell or wealth) on their back.

Original meaning: Originally, it meant 'to rely on oneself' or 'to carry oneself'. In the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (Shiji), it was used to describe people who relied on their own strength.

Sino-Tibetan / Chinese.

Cultural Context

Be careful not to call someone '自负' to their face unless you intend to insult them. It is a strong criticism of character.

In the West, 'confidence' is often seen as a prerequisite for success. In China, 'confidence' (自信) is also valued, but 'conceit' (自负) is much more strictly condemned as it clashes with the collective spirit.

The tragic hero Xiang Yu in 'Records of the Grand Historian'. The concept of 'Hubris' in Greek tragedy is a perfect translation for the literary use of 自负. Modern C-dramas like 'Story of Yanxi Palace' where arrogant concubines face '后果自负'.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Legal Disclaimer

后果自负
责任自负
损失自负
盈亏自负

Personality Critique

太自负了
过于自负
性格自负
自负的态度

Business Management

自负盈亏
企业自负
风险自负
管理自负

Educational Advice

不要自负
戒骄戒躁
谦虚好学
自负是障碍

Literary Character Analysis

自负其才
英雄的自负
悲剧的自负
自负不凡

Conversation Starters

"你觉得那个新来的经理是不是有点太自负了？ (Do you think the new manager is a bit too conceited?)"

"在你的文化里，自信和自负的界限在哪里？ (In your culture, where is the line between confidence and conceit?)"

"如果你在停车场看到‘后果自负’的牌子，你会担心吗？ (If you see a 'bear the consequences yourself' sign in a parking lot, would you worry?)"

"你认为自负的人能成为好的领导吗？ (Do you think a conceited person can be a good leader?)"

"你有没有遇到过特别自负但其实没什才华的人？ (Have you ever met someone very conceited but actually not very talented?)"

Journal Prompts

写一写你身边一个自负的人，以及他的行为如何影响了周围的人。 (Write about a conceited person around you and how their behavior affects others.)

反思一下，你是否有过因为过于自负而犯错的经历？ (Reflect on whether you have ever made a mistake because you were too conceited.)

讨论‘自信’与‘自负’的区别，以及如何在生活中保持平衡。 (Discuss the difference between 'confidence' and 'conceit' and how to maintain a balance in life.)

如果你是一家公司的老板，你会如何处理一个非常自负但很有能力的员工？ (If you were the boss of a company, how would you handle a very conceited but capable employee?)

分析一个文学作品或电影中的自负角色。 (Analyze a conceited character in a literary work or movie.)

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

In terms of personality, yes, it is almost always negative. However, in legal or formal contexts like '后果自负', it is a neutral term meaning you are responsible for yourself.

No. You cannot be 'conceited' for someone else. If you are proud of someone, use '我为他感到自豪'.

'骄傲' can be positive (I am proud of you) or negative (He is arrogant). '自负' is only negative when describing personality.

Yes, it's very common when people gossip about someone who is too full of themselves, or when reading warning signs.

The most common way is '后果自负' (hòuguǒ zìfù).

It can be both. '他很自负' (Adjective: He is conceited). '他的自负' (Noun: His conceit).

Yes, specifically in the term '自负盈亏' (responsible for profits and losses).

Often, yes. It usually describes someone who *is* talented but thinks too much of themselves because of it.

The most common opposite is '谦虚' (humble/modest).

It is written as '自负'. '自' is self, '负' is to carry/bear.