Mnemonic comic for

Translation

zì = z + Ø4: self / oneself / from / since / naturally / surely

Mnemonic

Mnemonic symbol: a hand mirror, which someone uses to look at themselves. The Eye of Providence (目) is looking at itself (自) in a handheld mirror (自) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). It think it's indeed looking very good, since Zorro (z) attached a petal (丶) to its eye (目).

自 character breakdown

"dot" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 3) / see also 點|点[dian3]

This character shall be represented by a petal (丶) when appearing in other characters.

Julian Giant Squid (zhu) is napping in the space station's living room (Ø3) and hugging a petal (丶).
eye / (literary) to look; to regard / eye (of a net); mesh / mesh size; grit size (abbr. for 目數|目数[mu4 shu4]) / item; section / list; catalogue / (taxonomy) order / name; title

= + : Mnemonic symbol: the Eye of Providence (目).

Malte Monkey (mu-) is unpacking an enclosure (囗) full of capacitors (二). He's afraid that the Eye of Providence (目) will see him, so he does it secretly in the space station's bathroom (-Ø4).

Characters with 自 as component

to reach / when
surname Yuan / (Japanese surname) Hara

= + + : Mnemonic symbol: I like how 原子, literally "original seed", means "atom". I'll represent 原 by 原子弹, an atomic bomb.

= + + : In the anthill's kitchen Yu the Great is modding a chocolate factory into a nuclear chocolate factory by powering it with an atomic bomb. Because it is hard to look inside the bomb through it's small opening, she uses a hand mirror to see inside and connect the wires. She also used a lot of daisies to decorate the bomb and underline her peaceful intentions.
former / original / primary / raw / level / cause / source

= + + : Mnemonic symbol: I like how 原子, literally "original seed", means "atom". I'll represent 原 by 原子弹, an atomic bomb.

= + + : In the anthill's kitchen Yu the Great is modding a chocolate factory into a nuclear chocolate factory by powering it with an atomic bomb. Because it is hard to look inside the bomb through it's small opening, she uses a hand mirror to see inside and connect the wires. She also used a lot of daisies to decorate the bomb and underline her peaceful intentions.
Character component without intrinsic meaning

Mnemonic symbol: a Sherpa, 夏尔巴人. Marie Curie (xi) gives a Sherpa (夏) 100 bucks (𦣻) to play a summer song on his flute (𦣻) and dance on high heels (夂) in the ashram's bathroom (a4).
nose

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a brandy nose.

Brunhilde (bi) was supposed to pass on (畀) the space station's brandy, but nobody came to the space station's entrance (Ø2) pick it up and so Brunhilde drank it all herself. Now as she is looking into her hand mirror (自) she notices that she got a big brandy nose (鼻).
to rest
variant of 憩[qi4]
guidepost / rule / standard / limit / target (old)
hard earth
deflated / shriveled / sunken / empty
variant of 癟|瘪[bie3]

Words with 自

to come from
obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)
one's own (respective) / proprietary
ice or coals, whether hot or cold goes without saying (idiom); fig. sincerity is not expressed in words
see 如人飲水,冷暖自知|如人饮水,冷暖自知[ru2 ren2 yin3 shui3 , leng3 nuan3 zi4 zhi1]
from the bottom of one's heart (idiom)
effort will undoubtedly lead to success (idiom)
Wuchuan Klau and Hmong Autonomous County in Zunyi 遵義|遵义[Zun1 yi4], northeast Guizhou
Wuchuan Klau and Hmong autonomous county in Zunyi 遵義|遵义[Zun1 yi4], northeast Guizhou
Hualong Huizu Autonomous County in Haidong prefecture 海東地區|海东地区[Hai3 dong1 di4 qu1], Qinghai
Beichuan Qiang autonomous county in Mianyang 綿陽|绵阳[Mian2 yang2], north Sichuan
semi-tenant peasant / semi-owner peasant
Nanjian Yizu autonomous county in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture 大理白族自治州[Da4 li3 Bai2 zu2 zi4 zhi4 zhou1], Yunnan
Inner Mongolia autonomous region, abbr. 內蒙古|内蒙古[Nei4 meng3 gu3], capital Hohhot 呼和浩特市[Hu1 he2 hao4 te4 Shi4]
there is a reason for it / (of sth) not incidental

Sentences with 自

bǎ
ya̅o
hóu
jia̅o
yǔ
pín
dào
 
 
wǒ
zì
yǒu
bàn
fǎ