<p>As the others have noted it means 'self-conscious.' The 的 adds a meaning of "being self-conscious" or "having the property of being self-conscious."</p>

<p>However, 觉 is simplified but 覺 is traditional.  This leads me to believe that the stamp was made from Japan/Japanese, since the same Chinese character when rendered in Japanese it looks like 覚.</p>

<p>自覚的</p>

<p>This expression has basically the same meaning for both Chinese users of traditional and simplified and Japanese.  (And probably Korean, though they would use 覺.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-02T04:36:58.323Z
Formally Japanese use [覺](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%A6%BA#Kanji) too.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-02T14:49:46.250Z
well... traditional characters are still widely used today. In Chinese mainland, you can most of the Calligraphy are in traditional Chinese characters. And in Taiwan and Hongkong， they don't have simplified Chinese, they keep using traditional Chinese. However, in China mainland, simplified characters are offcial
Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-02T20:53:17.813Z
Speaking of the traditional set, Hong Kong uses a traditional set *slightly* older than the one used in Taiwan.  You can see this in the use of: 為 (Taiwan) vs. 爲 (Hong Kong).  You can also see this in the use of 神 where in Hong Kong the left radical is rendered as 示 and in Taiwan the left radical looks like a ネ.  (I'm simulating these through a Japanese font...)
Kylon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-03T10:36:37.163Z
I mean "Japanese use 覺 as a formal character **too**". Yes, Japanese use 覚 more often. BTW, if you don't @me, I can't see your message :)
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T22:47:28.500Z
2013-08-01T23:37:45.753Z
2013-08-01T23:37:45.753Z
Kylon
<p><code>自觉的</code>, just "self-conscious".</p>

<p>Note that, <code>覚</code> is seldom used today. It's an interchangeable character for <code>觉</code>(simplified Chinese) or <code>覺</code>(traditional Chinese), which means <em>sense/feel</em>.</p>

<p>PS: I think the one who made the stamp maybe didn't know Chinese. He or She might search <em>conscius</em> in an electronic dictionary and found the Chinese meaning <code>自觉的</code>. However the translation can be greatly refined :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-31T12:36:24.100Z
Agreed, if it were me, I'll make it 自律.
Yu Hao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-31T18:08:42.540Z
Maybe they didn't know English either? Conscious is the usual spelling :)
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-31T20:27:17.107Z
@YuHao Doesn't 自律 mean "(self-)disciplined"?
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T00:47:13.383Z
@StumpyJoePete Yes it does. As the natural purpose for self-consciousness. To avoid being superfluous, assuming the stamp maker wants to say 'self-conscious', it should be 自觉 without 的.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T01:48:53.043Z
@NS.X. I'm not sure what the _intended_ meaning of the stamp was, but if they were trying for the English word "conscious", then "self-disciplined" is probably not the intended implication.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T06:18:05.433Z
@StumpyJoePete [*cōnscius*](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conscius) is Latin. And "conscius" is the name of their company.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-02T01:56:44.597Z
This doesn't mean self-conscious at all, at least not in modern usage. Nowadays it means self-disciplined or without having to be told. Self-conscious, in English, means to be overly concerned about what other people think of you, which has nothing to do with 自觉 at all.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-02T04:28:42.990Z
@deutschZuid: I was aware of this. In daily usage, no doubt, you're right. However, many English-Chinese dictionaries translate self-conscious to 自觉的 [***as a psychological or philosophical jargon***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-consciousness#Psychology) -- what you said is just *public self-consciousness*. As the stamp had translated cōnscius to 自觉的, I acquiescently considered it adopted the meaning "private self-consciousness", which can actually be translated to 自觉的.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-31T12:01:27.333Z
2013-07-31T12:20:57.713Z
2013-07-31T12:20:57.713Z
Stan
<p>We got this stamp as a gift. What does the Chinese characters translate to? It seems too long to just translate to "conscius" [sic].</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HvT3K.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<translation><character-identification>
Translation of "conscius" [sic] on stamp (Characters identified: 自覚的)
# Translation of "conscius" [sic] on stamp (Characters identified: 自覚的)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-31)

We got this stamp as a gift. What does the Chinese characters translate to? It seems too long to just translate to "conscius" [sic].

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/HvT3K.jpg)

**Tags:** translation, character-identification


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-07-31. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

`自觉的`, just "self-conscious".

Note that, `覚` is seldom used today. It's an interchangeable character for `觉`(simplified Chinese) or `覺`(traditional Chinese), which means *sense/feel*.

PS: I think the one who made the stamp maybe didn't know Chinese. He or She might search *conscius* in an electronic dictionary and found the Chinese meaning `自觉的`. However the translation can be greatly refined :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Agreed, if it were me, I'll make it 自律.  
> **username_5**: Maybe they didn't know English either? Conscious is the usual spelling :)  
> **username_5**: @YuHao Doesn't 自律 mean "(self-)disciplined"?  
> **username_6**: @StumpyJoePete Yes it does. As the natural purpose for self-consciousness. To avoid being superfluous, assuming the stamp maker wants to say 'self-conscious', it should be 自觉 without 的.  
> **username_5**: @username_6 I'm not sure what the _intended_ meaning of the stamp was, but if they were trying for the English word "conscious", then "self-disciplined" is probably not the intended implication.  
> **username_2**: @StumpyJoePete [*cōnscius*](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conscius) is Latin. And "conscius" is the name of their company.  
> **username_7**: This doesn't mean self-conscious at all, at least not in modern usage. Nowadays it means self-disciplined or without having to be told. Self-conscious, in English, means to be overly concerned about what other people think of you, which has nothing to do with 自觉 at all.  
> **username_2**: @username_7: I was aware of this. In daily usage, no doubt, you're right. However, many English-Chinese dictionaries translate self-conscious to 自觉的 [***as a psychological or philosophical jargon***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-consciousness#Psychology) -- what you said is just *public self-consciousness*. As the stamp had translated cōnscius to 自觉的, I acquiescently considered it adopted the meaning "private self-consciousness", which can actually be translated to 自觉的.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-08-01. Score: 2

As the others have noted it means 'self-conscious.' The 的 adds a meaning of "being self-conscious" or "having the property of being self-conscious."

However, 觉 is simplified but 覺 is traditional. This leads me to believe that the stamp was made from Japan/Japanese, since the same Chinese character when rendered in Japanese it looks like 覚.

自覚的

This expression has basically the same meaning for both Chinese users of traditional and simplified and Japanese. (And probably Korean, though they would use 覺.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Formally Japanese use [覺](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%A6%BA#Kanji) too.  
> **username_3**: well... traditional characters are still widely used today. In Chinese mainland, you can most of the Calligraphy are in traditional Chinese characters. And in Taiwan and Hongkong， they don't have simplified Chinese, they keep using traditional Chinese. However, in China mainland, simplified characters are offcial  
> **username_1**: Speaking of the traditional set, Hong Kong uses a traditional set *slightly* older than the one used in Taiwan.  You can see this in the use of: 為 (Taiwan) vs. 爲 (Hong Kong).  You can also see this in the use of 神 where in Hong Kong the left radical is rendered as 示 and in Taiwan the left radical looks like a ネ.  (I'm simulating these through a Japanese font...)  
> **username_2**: I mean "Japanese use 覺 as a formal character **too**". Yes, Japanese use 覚 more often. BTW, if you don't @me, I can't see your message :)  

---

