zi6 gei2自己

Jyutpingzi6 gei2

Yalejih géi

代詞Very common

Definition

Oneself; myself; yourself; him- or herself. Used to refer back to a person or entity for emphasis.

colloquialpeopledaily actions

How it's used

Pronounced as zi6 gei2, this term is used to emphasize the subject or to indicate that an action is performed independently. It often appears after a pronoun like 我 or 你 to add emphasis, or it can stand alone to mean someone's own property or group. When referring to one's own family or close associates, it is common to use the phrase 自己人.

Examples

ngo5我zung1鍾ji3意zi6自gei2己jat1一go3個jan4人heoi3去leoi5旅hang4行。

I like traveling by myself.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪zi6自gei2己zing2整ni1呢go3個daan6蛋gou1糕㗎？

Did you make this cake by yourself?

Common phrases

zi6自gei2己jan4人

one of us; our own people

zi6自gei2己lai4嚟

do it yourself

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use it as a direct translation for the English word self in all contexts, but it cannot be used as a standalone reflexive pronoun in the same way as English. For instance, you cannot say 我見自己 to mean I saw myself; instead, you must use a construction like 我見到我自己.