Chinese–EnglishWith examples

擅自

shàn zì · shan zi

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 7–9Old HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. without permission
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In a conversation

0:21 cartoon

The moved desk

  1. Liangliang

    谁(shéi)擅自(shànzì)动(dòng)了(le)我(wǒ)的(de)桌子(zhuōzi)？

    Who moved my desk without asking?

  2. Dengdeng

    是(shì)我(wǒ)，桌子(zhuōzi)太(tài)乱(luàn)了(le)，我(wǒ)帮(bāng)你(nǐ)整理(zhěnglǐ)了(le)一下(yīxià)。

    Me. It was messy, so I tidied it for you.

  3. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)不能(bùnéng)擅自(shànzì)动(dòng)我(wǒ)的(de)东西(dōngxi)！算了(suànle)，我(wǒ)的(de)耳机(ěrjī)现在(xiànzài)在(zài)哪儿(nǎr)？

    You cannot touch my things without asking! Never mind. Where are my headphones now?

  4. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)擅自(shànzì)把(bǎ)它(tā)放(fàng)在(zài)抽屉(chōuti)里(lǐ)了(le)。

    I put them in the drawer without asking.

  5. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)又(yòu)擅自(shànzì)……算了(suànle)，谢谢(xièxie)。

    Again without asking... forget it. Thanks.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

未(wèi)经(jīng)允(yǔn)许(xǔ)，你(nǐ)不(bù)能(néng)擅(shàn)自(zì)进(jìn)入(rù)实(shí)验(yàn)室(shì)。

Without permission, you cannot enter the laboratory on your own.

02

他(tā)擅(shàn)自(zì)改(gǎi)了(le)会(huì)议(yì)时(shí)间(jiān)，大(dà)家(jiā)都(dōu)很(hěn)不(bù)满(mǎn)。

He changed the meeting time without permission, and everyone was quite unhappy.

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How to write

Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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