自私自利

• Pinyin: zì sī zì lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 自 = 自 (self); 私 = 禾 + 厶 (private); 自 = 自 (self); 利 = 禾 + 刀 (benefit/profit)

Meaning

Selfish and self-serving; thinking only of one's own gain. A stronger expression than 自私, emphasising both the attitude and the calculated pursuit of personal advantage.

A four-character idiom used as a sharp moral condemnation. Frequently appears in political speeches, ethical discussions, and literary works to characterise villainous or despicable behaviour.

Examples

1. 他自私自利的本性在危急时刻暴露无遗，令众人寒心。 His selfish, self-serving nature was laid bare in the crisis, leaving everyone disheartened.
2. 一个自私自利的领导者无法赢得下属真心的拥护。 A selfish, self-serving leader can't win genuine support from subordinates.
3. 这部小说的反派角色将自私自利的人性丑陋面表现得淋漓尽致。 The villain in this novel portrays the ugliness of selfish, self-serving human nature with striking vividness.

Usage Guide

Context: morality, political discourse, literature

Tone: condemnatory

Do Say

• 历史上自私自利的政客往往最终落得身败名裂的下场。(Throughout history, self-serving politicians have invariably ended up ruined and disgraced.)
• 一个集体的衰败，往往始于成员间自私自利之风的蔓延。(The decline of a group often begins with the spread of a self-serving mentality among its members.)

Don't Say

• 有点自私自利 — 自私自利 is already an extreme characterisation; qualify instead with 带有私心 or 偏向自利 for milder critique

Origin & History

自私 (selfish) + 自利 (self-benefiting) — a reduplicative idiom intensifying the sense of self-centred opportunism

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal