自足
じそく
noun, suru verb
self-sufficiency; being content with what one has
他動詞 transitiveeconomics
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 自足する | 自足しない |
| Present polite | 自足します | 自足しません |
| Past | 自足した | 自足しなかった |
| Past polite | 自足しました | 自足しませんでした |
| て form | 自足して | 自足しなくて |
| ている present | 自足している | 自足していない |
| ている polite | 自足しています | 自足していません |
| ている past | 自足していた | 自足していなかった |
| ている past polite | 自足していました | 自足していませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 自足すれば | 自足しなければ |
| Conditional たら | 自足したら | 自足しなかったら |
| Volitional | 自足しよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 自足しましょう | — |
| Potential | 自足できる | 自足できない |
| Passive | 自足される | 自足されない |
| Causative | 自足させる | 自足させない |
| Imperative | 自足しろ | 自足するな |
1.
self-sufficiency; meeting one's own needs; being content with what one has
Supplying one's own needs or being satisfied with what one already has — without seeking more from outside. Most commonly seen in the four-character compound 自給自足 (self-sufficiency).
In modern urban life, it is nearly impossible to be self-sufficient in food.
Composed of 自 (self) and 足 (be sufficient, suffice). Refers to meeting one's own needs or being satisfied with what one has. In modern Japanese, 自足 rarely appears on its own — it is most commonly encountered as part of the four-character idiom 自給自足 (self-sufficiency: producing and consuming one's own goods).
Usage
- As a noun: 自足の生活 (a self-sufficient life)
- As a suru-verb: 野菜を自足する (to supply one's own vegetables)
- Often combined: 自給自足 (the standard idiomatic form)
Common collocations
- 自給自足: self-sufficiency (idiomatic four-character compound)
- 自足の生活: a self-sufficient life
- 自足できない: cannot supply one's own / cannot be satisfied
- 食料を自足する: to meet one's own food needs
Similar words
- 自給: self-supply — the more common half of 自給自足; emphasizes production
- 独立: independence — broader; includes political and emotional independence
- 自立: independence, standing on one's own — focuses on personal autonomy rather than supplying one's needs
- 満足: satisfaction, contentment — emphasizes feeling, not supply
Related Words
Compare:
自給 (self-supply)
Compare:
独立 (independence)
Compare:
満足 (satisfaction, contentment)