自じ由ゆう自じ在ざい

じ

ゆ

う

じ

ざ

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

na-adjective

free; unrestricted; with complete mastery

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes doing something freely, at will, or with effortless control. Often used adverbially as 自由自在に.

彼かれは英えい語ごを自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに操あやつる。
He has complete command of English.
このソフトを使つかえば、データを自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに加か工こうできる。
With this software, you can manipulate data freely.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに操あやつるto manipulate/control something with complete mastery
彼かれはロボットを自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに操あやつることができる。
He can control the robot with complete mastery.
自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに〈動どう詞し〉to do something freely and without restriction
魚さかなは水みずの中なかを自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに動うごき回まわる。
Fish move around freely in the water.
〈言げん語ご〉を自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに使つかいこなすto use a language with complete fluency and ease
彼かの女じょは三さんか国こく語ごを自じ由ゆう自じ在ざいに使つかいこなす。
She uses three languages with complete fluency.

Kanji

自oneself
由wherefore, a reason
在exist, outskirts, suburbs

Related words

自じ由ゆうN4
自由 is the general word for 'freedom' or 'liberty', while 自由自在 emphasizes unrestricted, masterful control in action.
自じ在ざいN1
自在 alone means 'freely' or 'at will' but is less commonly used by itself, whereas 自由自在 is the fixed four-character compound that intensifies the meaning.
縦じゅう横おう
自由自在 is the more common, everyday word for acting freely without constraint, while 縦横 in this sense is more literary and often implies skillful mastery.

Opposites

不ふ自じ由ゆうN3
不自由 describes being restricted or inconvenienced, the opposite of the effortless, unrestricted control expressed by 自由自在.

Built from

自じ由ゆう+自じ在ざい

Etymology

A yojijukugo combining 自由 (freedom) and 自在 (at will), both of which share the sense of unrestricted action. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound is well-established in modern Japanese.