<blockquote>
<p>was there a word/character for &quot;self&quot; in the Chinese language, prior to the 19th century, that is, in Chinese traditional elite culture?</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Yes</strong>, 吾 (同我) often can be interpreted as &quot;self&quot; in many writings, but specifically, <strong>&quot;己&quot;</strong> is the single Chinese character you are looking for.</p>
<p><strong>己</strong> (self; oneself) - &quot;<strong>己</strong>所不欲，勿施于人 《論語·顏淵》&quot;; “<strong>己</strong>欲立而立人，<strong>己</strong>欲达而达人 《論語·雍也》”; &quot;推<strong>己</strong>所欲，以及天下 《傅子．卷一．仁論》- 後衍生 the idiom &quot;推<strong>己</strong>及人&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-25T03:15:29.483Z
(1) Thank you. Nonetheless, "self" in my question is a lexical word (a noun), referring to a philosophical concept (i.e. "personal identity"). A Chinese lexical word (an adjective) expressing a comparable concept is 私, but it means "private", and is very negatively connotated (alone, selfish, clandestine, illegal). https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%A7%81/2257986
Starckman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-25T03:24:01.263Z
(2) However, 吾 (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%90%BE/6093722) and 己 (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B7%B1/5094945) are both pronouns, they basically mean "I". This is shown in the example sentences provided in your answer. From what I recall (please correct me if I'm wrong), 己 evokingly must  often be omitted in Classical Chinese...
Starckman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-25T16:21:20.597Z
I think you are taking it too far. because of cultural and philosophical differences, an English word might not have an exact match in Chinese, it is also true the other way around. None of the "己" can be omitted in the examples shown in my answer.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-26T09:23:59.860Z
"None of the "己" can be omitted in the examples shown in my answer." this is because those examples are fixed expressions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phraseme#Non-compositional_phrasemes:_Idioms. (I upvoted your answer)
Starckman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-26T13:06:33.500Z
I don't think this conservation is constructive. I am done.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-28T03:57:36.677Z
Quote:- "The word/concept of "self" is present in the European tradition." It should exist in non-European traditions as well as the concept of "Self" is a universal inherent trait of being human. The "problem" here is how is this "Self" expressed linguistically in the Chinese language in a way which is in congruent with the European tradition. A very very big topic which @r13 attempted to touch on. Here is Confucius's Concept of "Self"  https://www.tparents.org/UNews/unws9908/Klemme_confucian.htm
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-24T18:21:18.053Z
2024-07-24T20:18:49.363Z
2024-07-24T20:18:49.363Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p>I am talking about the &quot;self&quot;.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Which <em>self</em> would that be? Do people have more than 1 <em>self</em>? How can we tell them apart?</p>
<p>真<strong>我</strong>, 真实<strong>自我</strong><br />
true self, real self</p>
<p>自己:<br />
做<strong>自己</strong>的主人，<strong>自己</strong>做决定吧。<br />
Be your own man, make up your own mind.</p>
<p>自我:<br />
她故作轻松地做了<strong>自我</strong>介绍。<br />
Feigning casualness she introduced herself.</p>
<p>本人:<br />
总统<strong>本人</strong>正在访问北京。<br />
The President himself is just visiting Beijing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-24T14:58:18.197Z
2024-07-24T14:58:18.197Z
Pedroski
<p>The word/concept of &quot;self&quot; is present in the European tradition, notably with John Locke and his monograph <em>An Essay Concerning Human Understanding</em> (1689), and the Chapter XXVII on &quot;Identity and Diversity&quot;.
Apparently, the words &quot;self&quot; and &quot;personal identity&quot; are rather synonymous in Locke (Nimbalkar 2011).</p>
<p>So I looked at the Chinese translation of the <em>Essay</em> 人類理解論 by <a href="http://wy.sxu.edu.cn/szdw/msfc/29552.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">關琪桐</a>, the Chapter XXVII, and these two words.
The translation for &quot;personal identity&quot; is 人格 (appears at Section 9).
The translation for &quot;self&quot; is 自我 (appears at Section 17).</p>
<p>As can be noticed, those words are composed of two characters, showing that they were probably constructed recently (19th or 20th century), maybe borrowing from Japanese translations (further investigation necessary here).</p>
<p>So my question is: was there a word/character for &quot;self&quot; in the Chinese language, prior to the 19th century, that is, in Chinese traditional elite culture?</p>
<p>I limit my question to the elite culture (the scholar-officials who were also often artists, like poets, painters and calligraphers).
In my impression, the word/character which comes close to it is 私, but its connotation is very different (it is negative).</p>
<p>This question is related to this <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28052/is-there-really-no-word-for-individualism-in-chinese">one</a>, although here I am talking about the &quot;self&quot;.</p>
<p><strong>References:</strong></p>
<p>Nimbalkar, N. (2011). John Locke on personal identity. <em>Mens sana monographs</em>, 9(1), 268.</p>
<p><a href="https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/en/book/NTUL-0529545/reader" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/en/book/NTUL-0529545/reader</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.philotextes.info/spip/IMG/pdf/essay_concerning_human_understanding.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.philotextes.info/spip/IMG/pdf/essay_concerning_human_understanding.pdf</a></p>

<word>
Is there a Chinese word for "self"?
# Is there a Chinese word for "self"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-07-24)

The word/concept of "self" is present in the European tradition, notably with John Locke and his monograph *An Essay Concerning Human Understanding* (1689), and the Chapter XXVII on "Identity and Diversity".
Apparently, the words "self" and "personal identity" are rather synonymous in Locke (Nimbalkar 2011).

So I looked at the Chinese translation of the *Essay* 人類理解論 by [關琪桐](http://wy.sxu.edu.cn/szdw/msfc/29552.htm), the Chapter XXVII, and these two words.
The translation for "personal identity" is 人格 (appears at Section 9).
The translation for "self" is 自我 (appears at Section 17).

As can be noticed, those words are composed of two characters, showing that they were probably constructed recently (19th or 20th century), maybe borrowing from Japanese translations (further investigation necessary here).

So my question is: was there a word/character for "self" in the Chinese language, prior to the 19th century, that is, in Chinese traditional elite culture?

I limit my question to the elite culture (the scholar-officials who were also often artists, like poets, painters and calligraphers).
In my impression, the word/character which comes close to it is 私, but its connotation is very different (it is negative).

This question is related to this [one](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28052/is-there-really-no-word-for-individualism-in-chinese), although here I am talking about the "self".

**References:**

Nimbalkar, N. (2011). John Locke on personal identity. *Mens sana monographs*, 9(1), 268.

<https://taiwanebook.ncl.edu.tw/en/book/NTUL-0529545/reader>

<http://www.philotextes.info/spip/IMG/pdf/essay_concerning_human_understanding.pdf>

**Tags:** word


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-07-24. Score: 4

> was there a word/character for "self" in the Chinese language, prior to the 19th century, that is, in Chinese traditional elite culture?

**Yes**, 吾 (同我) often can be interpreted as "self" in many writings, but specifically, **"己"** is the single Chinese character you are looking for.

**己** (self; oneself) - "**己**所不欲，勿施于人 《論語·顏淵》"; “**己**欲立而立人，**己**欲达而达人 《論語·雍也》”; "推**己**所欲，以及天下 《傅子．卷一．仁論》- 後衍生 the idiom "推**己**及人".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: (1) Thank you. Nonetheless, "self" in my question is a lexical word (a noun), referring to a philosophical concept (i.e. "personal identity"). A Chinese lexical word (an adjective) expressing a comparable concept is 私, but it means "private", and is very negatively connotated (alone, selfish, clandestine, illegal). https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%A7%81/2257986  
> **username_0**: (2) However, 吾 (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%90%BE/6093722) and 己 (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B7%B1/5094945) are both pronouns, they basically mean "I". This is shown in the example sentences provided in your answer. From what I recall (please correct me if I'm wrong), 己 evokingly must  often be omitted in Classical Chinese...  
> **username_1**: I think you are taking it too far. because of cultural and philosophical differences, an English word might not have an exact match in Chinese, it is also true the other way around. None of the "己" can be omitted in the examples shown in my answer.  
> **username_0**: "None of the "己" can be omitted in the examples shown in my answer." this is because those examples are fixed expressions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phraseme#Non-compositional_phrasemes:_Idioms. (I upvoted your answer)  
> **username_1**: I don't think this conservation is constructive. I am done.  
> **username_2**: Quote:- "The word/concept of "self" is present in the European tradition." It should exist in non-European traditions as well as the concept of "Self" is a universal inherent trait of being human. The "problem" here is how is this "Self" expressed linguistically in the Chinese language in a way which is in congruent with the European tradition. A very very big topic which @username_1 attempted to touch on. Here is Confucius's Concept of "Self"  https://www.tparents.org/UNews/unws9908/Klemme_confucian.htm  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-07-24. Score: -1

> I am talking about the "self".

Which *self* would that be? Do people have more than 1 *self*? How can we tell them apart?

真**我**, 真实**自我**  
true self, real self

自己:  
做**自己**的主人，**自己**做决定吧。  
Be your own man, make up your own mind.

自我:  
她故作轻松地做了**自我**介绍。  
Feigning casualness she introduced herself.

本人:  
总统**本人**正在访问北京。  
The President himself is just visiting Beijing.


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