The word **自主 (zìzhǔ)** is formed through the process of compounding, where two independent, meaningful characters are combined to create a new semantic unit. The first character, **自 (zì)**, means "self" or "from oneself," while the second character, **主 (zhǔ)**, means "to decide," "to govern," or "to be in charge." When paired, they literally and conceptually combine to mean "self-decision" or "self-governance," thereby conveying the core meaning of **autonomy, independence, or acting on one's own initiative**. This structure is typical in Modern Standard Chinese, where disyllabic compounds are created for clarity and to express more abstract or complex ideas than a single character might convey alone.