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

Mazda, Japanese car make (derived from name Matsuda 松田) / also known as 萬事得|万事得
close the country to international intercourse
Fangcheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County in Guangxi (temporary name during 1950s for Fangcheng district 防城區|防城区[Fang2 cheng2 qu1] of Fangchenggang city)
Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: rnga ba bod rigs cha'ng rigs rang skyong khul, formerly in Kham province of Tibet), northwest Sichuan, capital Barkam 馬爾康鎮|马尔康镇[Ma3 er3 kang1 zhen4]
Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County in Baise 百色[Bai3 se4], Guangxi
cannot control oneself (idiom) / to be beside oneself
Qinglong Manchu autonomous county in Qinhuangdao 秦皇島|秦皇岛[Qin2 huang2 dao3], Hebei
Jingzhou Miao and Dong autonomous county in Huaihua 懷化|怀化[Huai2 hua4], Hunan
unnatural / occult
to let nature take its course (idiom)
lit. looking at one's shadow and feeling sorry for oneself (idiom) / fig. alone and dejected
to strut about feeling complacent (idiom)
Mabian Yizu Autonomous County in Leshan 樂山|乐山[Le4 shan1], Sichuan
Mayang Miao autonomous county in Huaihua 懷化|怀化[Huai2 hua4], Hunan
Guanling Buyei and Hmong autonomous county in Anshun 安順|安顺[An1 shun4], Guizhou

Sentences with 自

zì
cóng
bì
mǎ
we̅n
lái
cǐ
yǐ
hòu