自称

zì chēng

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

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Definitions

1. to call oneself
2. to claim to be
3. to profess
4. to claim a title

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 公认 gōng rèn 公认 gōng rèn publicly known (to be) 被众人认可，与自称相对: publicly known (to be)

Synonyms

2 items

• 声称 shēng chēng 声称 shēng chēng to claim 公开表明某种说法或身份，常用于正式或半正式场合: to claim
• 自居 zì jū 自居 zì jū to consider oneself as 以某种身份自居，略带贬义: to consider oneself as

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Often misused with titles the speaker already possesses. Use 自称 only when the claim is questionable or unverified.

Formality

Common in formal and written contexts; in casual speech, 说自己是... is more natural.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他 自称 是专家，但其实什么都不懂。

He claims to be an expert, but in fact he doesn't understand anything.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 自称

• 称 称 chèn: to fit
• 称 称 chēng: to weigh
• 自 自 zì: self