自由

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 自由 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 自由 (Cantonese)
• Cê̤ṳ-iù (Eastern Min)
• Chū-iû (Southern Min)

Attestable from at least the Han dynasty, initially as a verb phrase meaning "to follow oneself" then an adjective meaning "to be free."

自由

1. free; unconstrained

   我現在感覺很自由。
   我现在感觉很自由。

   Wǒ xiànzài gǎnjiào hěn zìyóu.

   I feel really free now.

   自由發表意見／自由发表意见  ―  zìyóu fābiǎo yìjiàn  ―  to express one's views unreservedly

   • 人人生而自由，在尊嚴和權利上一律平等。
     人人生而自由，在尊严和权利上一律平等。

     From: “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

     Rénrén shēng ér zìyóu, zài zūnyán hé quánlì shàng yīlǜ píngděng.

     All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

   • 去止不敢自由。

     From: c. 2th century CE, 鄭玄 (Zheng Xuan), in 651 CE 《禮記正義·少儀》 (Correct Meanings of the Book of Rites "Smaller Rules of Demeanour") by 孔穎達 (Kong Yingda); translated by Li (2014)

     Qù zhǐ bùgǎn zìyóu.

     One does not dare to follow oneself on whether to leave or to stay.

   • 進退自由，豈不綽綽然舒緩有餘裕乎！
     进退自由，岂不绰绰然舒缓有余裕乎！

     From: c. 2th century CE 趙岐 (Zhao Qi), in late 10th - early 11th century CE 《孟子注疏·公孫丑章句下》 by 孫奭 (Sun Shi); translated by Li (2014)

     Jìntuì zìyóu, qǐ bù chuòchuò rán shūhuǎn yǒu yúyù hū!

     (Mencius was) free to stay or leave; he had plenty of scope when it comes to that matter.

   • 曰：「凡陽性升，陰性降，升難而降易。善，陽也，惡，陰也，故善難而惡易。縱民之情，使自由之，則降於下者多矣。」
     曰：「凡阳性升，阴性降，升难而降易。善，阳也，恶，阴也，故善难而恶易。纵民之情，使自由之，则降于下者多矣。」

     From: Xun Yue, Shenjian, late 2^nd - early 3^rd century CE, translated based on Chen Qiyun's version

     Yuē: “Fán yáng xìng shēng, yīn xìng jiàng, shēng nán ér jiàng yì. Shàn, yáng yě, è, yīn yě, gù shàn nán ér è yì. Zòng mín zhī qíng, shǐ zìyóu zhī, zé jiàng yú xià zhě duō yǐ.”

     I said: "That which is yang always ascends; that which is yin always descends. Ascent is difficult; descent is easier. Goodness is yang and badness is yin. Therefore, it is difficult to be good and easy to be bad. If people's passions are allowed to be free, there will be more falling into a lower state ."

2. (attributive) freelance

   自由職業／自由职业  ―  zìyóu zhíyè  ―  freelancing

   自由插畫師／自由插画师  ―  zìyóu chāhuàshī  ―  freelance illustrator

自由

1. freedom; liberty

   言論自由／言论自由  ―  yánlùn zìyóu  ―  freedom of speech

   婚姻自由  ―  hūnyīn zìyóu  ―  freedom of marriage

   宗教自由  ―  zōngjiào zìyóu  ―  freedom of religion

   出版自由  ―  chūbǎn zìyóu  ―  freedom of publication

   享有自由  ―  xiǎngyǒu zìyóu  ―  to enjoy freedom

2. (philosophy) freedom

• (antonym(s) of “philosophy: freedom”): 必然 (bìrán)

• → Zhuang: swyouz

/d͡ʑiːu/ → /d͡ʑijuː/

Apparently first imported from Middle Chinese 自由 (MC dzijH yuw) with an original meaning of roughly “arising from oneself”. Repurposed in the 1860s by Fukuzawa Yukichi as a translation of English freedom or liberty, as an extension of the original meaning: “freedom to act according to one's own thoughts, without restriction”. However, Li (2014) proposes that since the Han dynasty 自由 already meant “to be free”, from earlier “to follow oneself.”

• (Tokyo) じゆう (Nakadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

自(じ)由(ゆう) • (jiyū) ^{←じいう (ziiu)?}-na (adnominal 自(じ)由(ゆう)な (jiyū na), adverbial 自(じ)由(ゆう)に (jiyū ni))

1. free (as in freedom)
2. flexible

自(じ)由(ゆう) • (jiyū) ^{←じいう (ziiu)?}

1. freedom, liberty

   自(じ)由(ゆう)のために戦(たたか)う。

   Jiyū no tame ni tatakau.

   We will fight for freedom.

   • 2002 July 18, “弾(だん)圧(あつ)される民(たみ) ”, in ユニオンの降臨 , Konami:

     いつの日(ひ)か自(じ)由(ゆう)を手(て)にする事(こと)ができると信(しん)じて日(ひ)々(び)の生(せい)活(かつ)に耐(た)えている。

     Itsu no hi ka jiyū o te ni suru koto ga dekiru to shinjite hibi no seikatsu ni taeteiru.

     They endure every day of their lives, but they believe that they will have their freedom one day.

   • 2013 July 10, Revo, “紅蓮の弓矢 ”, in 自由への進撃 ‎ (CD), performed by Linked Horizon:

     屍踏み越えて　進む意思を　嗤う豚よ
     家畜の安寧　…虚偽の繁栄　…死せる餓狼の『自由』を！

     Shikabane fumikoete　susumu ishi o　warau buta yo
     Kachiku no annei　…kyogi no han'ei　…shiseru garō no “jiyū” o!

     You pigs who sneer at our will to step over corpses and march onwards
     Enjoy the peace of livestock …false prosperity …the “freedom” of starving wolves!

   • 2016 January 22, “チャンドラの誓(ちか)い ”, in ゲートウォッチの誓い , Wizards of the Coast:

     それで人(ひと)々(びと)が自(じ)由(ゆう)に生(い)きられるのなら、そうね、ゲートウォッチになるわ。

     Sore de hitobito ga jiyū ni ikirareru no nara, sō ne, Gētowotchi ni naru wa.

     If it means that people can live in freedom, yeah, I’ll be one of the Gatewatch.

2. (rare) demand (for goods or services)
3. (euphemistic) a toilet, a restroom

• → Korean: 자유 (jayu)
• → Okinawan: 自(じ)由(ゆー) (jiyū)

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
• Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
• Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN

自由 • (jayu) (hangeul 자유)

1. hanja form^? of 자유 (“freedom; liberty”)

自由(ぢゆー) (jiyū) 

1. freedom, liberty

Borrowed from Japanese 自由 (jiyū).

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʑijuː/

自(じ)由(ゆー) or 自由(じゆ) (jiyū or jiyu) 

1. freedom, liberty
2. as one expects

• “ジユー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

自由

1. chữ Hán form of tự do (“freedom; liberty”)

自由

1. Sawndip form of swyouz