Writing
擅自 (shàn zì) — how to say "without authorization" in Chinese
擅自
Without authorization, arbitrarily
manner adverb
How to use it
Goes before the verb and says how the action is done.
他擅自离开。
tā shàn zì lí kāi
He left without permission.
Character composition
擅
arbitrary, to usurp
自
self, from
Radicals / Keys
手
Hand
#64 · shǒu · 4 strokes
自
Self
#132 · zì · 6 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
擅自离开
shàn zì lí kāi
leave without permission
擅自行动
shàn zì xíng dòng
act without authorization
擅自决定
shàn zì jué dìng
make a decision without authorization
Examples
他擅自离开了公司，没有告诉任何人。
He left the company without authorization, without telling anyone.
别擅自决定。
Don't decide without authorization.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "without authorization" in Chinese?
"without authorization" in Chinese is 擅自 (shàn zì).
What does 擅自 mean in English?
擅自 (shàn zì) means "Without authorization, arbitrarily".
How is 擅自 pronounced?
It is pronounced shàn zì (written as shan zi, shanzi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "without authorization" in Chinese characters?
It is written 擅自: 擅 has 16 strokes, 自 has 6 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 擅自?
擅自 belongs to the HSK 6 vocabulary list.
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