HSK Level 6

自言自语

zì yán zì yǔ

soliloquize; talk to oneself

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Example Sentences

他自言自语地说,他很孤独。

tā zìyán zìyǔ de shuō, tā hěn gūdú.

He said to himself that he was very lonely.

她在自言自语地唱歌。

tā zài zìyán zìyǔ de chànggē.

She was singing to herself.

我自言自语地数着数。

wǒ zìyán zìyǔ de shǔzhe shù.

I was counting to myself.

Synonyms

自言自语 (zì yán zì yǔ)

talk to oneself

自言自语 (zì yán zì yǔ)

mutter

Antonyms

交谈 (jiāo tán)

conversation

对话 (duì huà)

dialogue

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 自言自语 (zì yán zì yǔ) is a compound of three characters. The first character, 自 (zì), means "self" or "oneself". The second character, 言 (yán), means "to speak" or "to say". The third character, 语 (yǔ), means "language" or "speech". Together, the three characters mean "to speak to oneself" or "to talk to oneself".The word 自言自语 is often used to describe someone who is talking to themselves out loud. It can also be used to describe someone who is thinking out loud or who is muttering to themselves. In some cases, the word 自言自语 can also be used to describe someone who is talking nonsense or who is rambling on.The word 自言自语 is a common word in Chinese and it is used in both formal and informal settings. It is a useful word to know for HSK learners as it can be used to describe a variety of situations.