擅自

shànzì

adverb HSK 7 #8,208

Meanings

1 without permission
2 on one's own authority
3 without authorization

Characters

without permission; on one's own

self; by oneself

Taking it upon oneself — doing something without authorization.

Examples

不要擅自离开岗位。

Bùyào shànzì líkāi gǎngwèi.

Don't leave your post without permission.

他擅自修改了合同。

Tā shànzì xiūgǎile hétong.

He modified the contract without authorization.

学生不能擅自进入实验室。

Xuéshēng bù néng shànzì jìnrù shíyànshì.

Students may not enter the laboratory without permission.

Tips

usage

擅自 always carries a negative tone — it implies the action was improper or unauthorized. It's commonly paired with verbs of action: 擅自决定 (decide on one's own), 擅自使用 (use without permission).

Stroke Order

擅 shàn

自 zì