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

ridiculous self-importance (idiom); arrogance
to be unduly humble (idiom) / to undervalue oneself
to exercise power arbitrarily (idiom)
Mengcun Hui Autonomous County in Cangzhou 滄州|沧州[Cang1 zhou1], Hebei
lone flower admiring itself (idiom); narcissism / self-love
leisurely and free (idiom); carefree and at ease
feeling comfortably at ease (idiom)
Fuchuan Yao autonomous county in Hezhou 賀州|贺州[He4 zhou1], Guangxi
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture 伊犁哈薩克自治州|伊犁哈萨克自治州[Yi1 li2 Ha1 sa4 ke4 Zi4 zhi4 zhou1], Xinjiang
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, abbr. 寧|宁[Ning2], capital Yinchuan 銀川|银川[Yin2 chuan1]
Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County in Yunnan, capital Pu'er city 普洱市[Pu3 er3 shi4] / formerly Pu'er Hani and Yi autonomous county
Ninglang Yizu Autonomous County in Lijiang 麗江|丽江[Li4 jiang1], Yunnan
Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County in Chengde 承德[Cheng2 de2], Hebei
Kuandian Manchu autonomous county in Dandong 丹東|丹东[Dan1 dong1], Liaoning
Xundian Hui and Yi autonomous county in Kunming 昆明[Kun1 ming2], Yunnan
the person who drinks it knows best whether the water is hot or cold (Zen proverb); self-awareness comes from within / to know best by personal experience
Weining Yi, Hui and Miao autonomous county in Bijie prefecture 畢節地區|毕节地区[Bi4 jie2 di4 qu1], Guizhou

Sentences with 自

zì
cóng
bì
mǎ
we̅n
lái
cǐ
yǐ
hòu