自行了断

自行了斷

zìxíngliǎoduàn

phrase

Meanings

1 to take one's own life
2 to end things oneself (often as an honorable suicide)

Characters

to settle; finish

to break off; sever

Examples

古代将军兵败后常常选择自行了断。

Gǔdài jiāngjūn bīng bài hòu chángcháng xuǎnzé zì xíng liǎo duàn.

In ancient times, defeated generals often chose to take their own lives.

电影里的反派最后自行了断了。

Diànyǐng lǐ de fǎnpài zuìhòu zì xíng liǎo duàn le.

The villain in the movie ended up taking his own life at the end.

Tips

register

Literary / formal — common in historical fiction, wuxia novels, news reports about political figures. The components break down as 自行 (zìxíng, 'on one's own') + 了断 (liǎoduàn, 'to settle/end definitively'). More everyday Chinese says 自杀 (zìshā, suicide).

mistakes

了 here is read liǎo (to settle, conclude), not the common particle 'le'. Saying zìxíng-le-duàn is wrong — it's zìxíng-liǎo-duàn.

Stroke Order

自 zì

行 xíng

了 le

断 duàn