The kanji 自 primarily conveys the idea of "self," "oneself," or "from." It represents the concept of internal, intrinsic qualities, and origins. It can also imply something belonging to oneself, or an action originating from oneself.

・On-yomi (音読み): ジ - Ji ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): みずか-ら - mizuka-ra (oneself), おの-ずから - ono-zuka-ra (naturally, automatically)

⚫︎ 自分 (じぶん) Translation: oneself, self ⚫︎ 自然 (しぜん) Translation: nature, natural ⚫︎ 自由 (じゆう) Translation: freedom, liberty

The kanji 自 is pictographic in origin. It is believed to have originally depicted a nose. The nose was seen as a central point of the face and therefore a representation of the self. Over time, the character evolved to represent the concept of "self" and "from."