私自

sīzì

adverb HSK 7-9 #12,827

Meanings

1 without permission
2 secretly
3 on one's own initiative (unauthorized)

Characters

private; secret

self; by oneself

Literally 'privately by oneself' - doing something without permission

Examples

HSK 7-9

员工不得私自泄露公司机密。

Yuángōng bùdé sīzì xièlòu gōngsī jīmì.

Employees must not privately disclose company secrets.

HSK 7-9

他私自动用了公款。

Tā sīzì dòngyòng le gōngkuǎn.

He used public funds without authorization.

Tips

usage

私自 has a negative connotation - doing something you shouldn't without authorization. Compare with 私下 (privately, neutral) which just means in private.

Stroke Order

私 sī

自 zì