The kanji 自 generally conveys the idea of "self," "oneself," "own," or "naturally." It often refers to internal aspects like one's own actions, feelings, or the self-governing nature of something. It can also imply something happening "by itself" or "automatically."

・On-yomi (音読み): ジ - じ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): みずか-ら - みずから

⚫︎ 自分 (じぶん) Translation: oneself; self; I; me ⚫︎ 自由 (じゆう) Translation: freedom; liberty; as a result of ⚫︎ 自習 (じしゅう) Translation: self-study

The kanji 自 is a pictograph. It originally depicted a nose. The nose was chosen as it points to oneself and represents the "self." Over time, the character evolved, but its connection to the idea of "oneself" or "from oneself" remained.