---
title: "Zicheng Meaning: 自称 (zìchēng) Means “to call oneself”"
description: "自称 (traditional 自稱, zìchēng) means “to call oneself; to claim to be”. Hear its tones, see what 自 and 称 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/zicheng"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 自称 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

自称 zìchēng

## to call oneself; to claim to be

## It can also mean

- form of self-address (e.g. 朕)

## Its characters

1. 自 zì self
2. 称 chēng to call

## In a sentence

他自称是这家店的老板。 He claims to be the owner of this shop.

为了养家，他在城东的一块坡地上开荒种田，还因此**自称**“东坡居士”，“苏东坡”这个名字就是这么来的。

From [苏东坡：诗人和吃货 · Su Dongpo, poet and cook: the story behind Dongpo pork](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/su-dongpo-dongpo-pork-story#library-word-369-371)

[More about 自称](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%87%AA%E7%A7%B0)

## More words with 自 or 称

- [称号 chēnghào](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chenghao)
- [称呼 chēnghu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chenghu)
- [称赞 chēngzàn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chengzan)
- [大自然 dàzìrán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daziran)
- [各自 gèzì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gezi)
- [号称 hàochēng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/haocheng)
- [简称 jiǎnchēng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiancheng)
- [堪称 kānchēng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/kancheng)
- [来自 láizì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/laizi)
- [名称 míngchēng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/mingcheng)

## Keep 自称 for Review

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