Independence 自主独立
jishu dokuritsu4 characters25 strokes
自主独立 (jishu dokuritsu) means thinking, deciding and acting for yourself without leaning too much on others, standing firmly on your own two feet.
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Meaning 意味
What 自主独立 means
A Japanese four-character idiom, yojijukugo, read jishu dokuritsu.
LiterallySelf-directed, standing alone.
自主独立 means not depending too much on others, but thinking for yourself, making your own choices and acting on your own strength. It describes standing firmly as an independent person.
“Moving abroad for college taught me jishu dokuritsu, doing everything on my own.”
When people write it in Japan. It suits a resolution for a fresh start, such as the new school or work year that begins each April in Japan.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 5th grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 自主独立
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 独, the rising stroke at the bottom of 虫 ends in a thin point, and you can see the brush moving straight on to the dot on the right.
- In 自, sweep the short stroke at the top swiftly down to the left. Make the part below tall and bring its right vertical down long and firm.
- In both 主 and 立, write the bottom horizontal long as a base. Place the dot at the top in the center of the character.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame. Shown in regular script. Semi-cursive follows the same order, with strokes joined.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
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Fall Seven Times, Rise Eight七転び八起き · nanakorobi yaoki+ Semi-cursive
Learn the Old, Know the New温故知新 · onko chishin+ Semi-cursive
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