自じ由ゆう

じ

ゆ

う

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

Broadly used for personal, political, and abstract freedom; also as a na-adjective meaning 'free to do as one wishes' or 'unrestricted'.

言げん論ろんの自じ由ゆうは大たい切せつな権けん利りだ。
Freedom of speech is an important right.
ここでは自じ由ゆうに意い見けんを言いってください。
Please feel free to express your opinion here.

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Usage patterns

自じ由ゆうを奪うばうto deprive someone of freedom
独どく裁さい政せい権けんは国こく民みんの自じ由ゆうを奪うばった。
The dictatorship deprived the people of their freedom.
自じ由ゆうを与あたえるto grant someone freedom
会かい社しゃは社しゃ員いんに働はたらき方かたの自じ由ゆうを与あたえている。
The company gives its employees freedom in how they work.
自じ由ゆうを求もとめるto seek freedom
人ひと々びとは長ながい間あいだ、自じ由ゆうを求もとめて戦たたかった。
People fought for a long time seeking freedom.
〈人ひと〉が自じ由ゆうに〈動どう詞し〉someone does something freely/without restriction
ここでは誰だれでも自じ由ゆうに意い見けんを言いえる。
Here, anyone can freely express their opinion.

Expressions· 25

性せいの自じ由ゆうsexual freedom
自じ由ゆうの身みfreedom; free person
人じん身しんの自じ由ゆうpersonal freedom; freedom of the person; personal liberty
信しん仰こうの自じ由ゆうfreedom of religion
信しん教きょうの自じ由ゆうfreedom of religion

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内ない面めんの自じ由ゆうfreedom of thought; inner freedom
出しゅっ版ぱんの自じ由ゆうfreedom of the press
四よっつの自じ由ゆうthe Four Freedoms

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Kanji

自oneself
由wherefore, a reason

Related words· 10

勝かっ手てN3
勝手 often implies acting as one pleases without regard for others (sometimes negative), while 自由 is more neutral and can refer to rights or general liberty.
自じ在ざいN1
自在 emphasizes skillful, unrestricted control over something (like a tool or technique), whereas 自由 is the broader concept of freedom itself.
気きままN1
自由 is a broader, more neutral term for freedom or liberty, while 気まま specifically carries the nuance of personal whim and self-indulgence.
自じ由ゆう自じ在ざい
自由 is the general word for 'freedom' or 'liberty', while 自由自在 emphasizes unrestricted, masterful control in action.

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フリーダム
自由 is the standard, neutral Japanese word for freedom, while フリーダム borrows the English feel and sounds more like a slogan or stylistic flourish.
リバティ
自由 is the everyday Japanese word for freedom or liberty, while リバティ is a loanword mostly seen in brand names, titles, or stylized contexts rather than ordinary speech.
フリーN2
自由 is the native Japanese word for freedom or being unrestricted, used in formal and philosophical contexts, while フリー is a loanword favored in casual, modern, or fashion/business contexts.
独どく立りつN3
自由 means freedom in a broad, general sense, while 独立 specifically means being free from external control or support, as with a nation.
随ずい意い
自由 means 'free' in the broad sense of liberty or freedom, while 随意 narrowly means being free to choose in one specific matter without obligation.
任にん意いN1
自由 means 'free/freedom' in a broad sense, while 任意 specifically highlights that something is optional or left to choice rather than compulsory.

Opposites· 6

不ふ自じ由ゆうN3
不自由 describes a lack of freedom or inconvenient restriction, the direct opposite of 自由's sense of being unrestricted.
束そく縛ばくN1
束縛 means restraint or being tied down by rules or relationships, contrasting with 自由's sense of being free to act as one wishes.
囚とらわれ
自由 means freedom, the direct opposite of 囚われ's state of being captive or trapped.

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公こう定ていN1
自由 (as in 自由価格) describes a price or rate determined freely by the market, the opposite of 公定, which is fixed by authorities.
規き制せいN1
自由 means freedom from restriction, the conceptual opposite of 規制, which imposes rules that limit that freedom.
統とう制せいN1
統制 means tight, authority-imposed control, while 自由 means freedom from such restriction, as in 統制経済 vs 自由経済.

Don't confuse with

事じ由ゆう
事由 (grounds/reason) and 自由 (freedom) are pronounced identically as じゆう but have completely unrelated meanings, so context and kanji are essential to distinguish them.

Word family· 87

不ふ自じ由ゆうN3
inconvenience; discomfort; lack of freedom · poverty; want; destitution · disability; impairment; inability
自じ由ゆう自じ在ざい
free; unrestricted; with complete mastery
自じ由ゆう形がた
freestyle (swimming)
自じ由ゆう化かN3
liberalization; deregulation; freeing
自じ由ゆう席せきN3
unreserved seat; non-reserved seat

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自じ由ゆうに
freely; at will; as one likes
自じ由ゆう人じん
free person; free spirit
自じ由ゆう円えん
free yen; convertible yen
自じ由ゆう刑けい
imprisonment; custodial sentence; penalty restricting freedom
自じ由ゆう国こく
free state; free country
自じ由ゆう帳ちょう
free-use notebook; blank notebook
自じ由ゆう度ど
degree of freedom
自じ由ゆう業ぎょう
self-employed profession; liberal profession

See all 87 in Explore →

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese word composed of 自 (self) and 由 (reason, cause), together conveying the idea of acting according to one's own will. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in Japanese for centuries to express the concept of freedom.