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自由自在zì yóu zì zàifree and easy

Not on the HSK 3.0 syllabusidiom

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

自由自在 (zì yóu zì zài) means free and easy, carefree, or leisurely. It describes a person or animal living or moving without worry or pressure, such as a bird flying in the sky, someone relaxing on a quiet weekend, or a retired person who can spend each day however they like.

What does 自由自在 mean?

  1. 1.

    free and easyidiom

  2. 2.

    carefreeidiom

  3. 3.

    leisurelyidiom

Figurative meaning
Free and easy; carefree; leisurely.

What do the characters in 自由自在 mean?

  • 自self; oneself
  • 由not compositional here
  • 自self; oneself
  • 在not compositional here

Where does 自由自在 come from?

No attested origin story

How do you use 自由自在?

自由自在 can describe how someone lives or moves, and it can come after 过得 or before 地 and a verb.

What are some examples of 自由自在 in a sentence?

  1. 鸟在天空中自由自在地飞。

    Niǎo zài tiānkōng zhōng zì yóu zì zài de fēi.

    Birds fly freely and easily in the sky.

  2. 退休以后,他过得自由自在。

    Tuìxiū yǐhòu, tā guò de zì yóu zì zài.

    After retiring, he lives a carefree life.

How is 自由自在 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    你周末做什么了?

    Nǐ zhōumò zuò shénme le?

    What did you do on the weekend?

  2. Speaker B:

    我在家看书、睡觉。

    Wǒ zài jiā kàn shū, shuìjiào.

    I read and slept at home.

  3. Speaker A:

    听起来很舒服。

    Tīng qǐlai hěn shūfu.

    That sounds comfortable.

  4. Speaker B:

    是啊,过得自由自在。

    Shì a, guò de zì yóu zì zài.

    Yes, it was carefree.

Can you use 自由自在 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.What does 自由自在 mean?
  2. 2.Which sentence uses 自由自在 correctly?
  3. 3.Which word fits best? 退休以后,他每天过得____。 (After retiring, he lives a carefree life every day.)

What should you learn next?

English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.