Meaning
自拍 literally means 'self-photograph' and refers to taking a photo of oneself, typically with a smartphone or camera held at arm's length. This modern term has become ubiquitous with the rise of social media and smartphone cameras, and is used both as a verb (to take a selfie) and as a noun (a selfie).
Usage
自拍 is informal and commonly used in daily conversation, especially among younger people. It's frequently seen on social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin. The term can be used alone or in compounds like 自拍杆 (selfie stick). While originally referring to any self-taken photo, it now almost exclusively means photos taken with smartphones.
Examples
- 01她每天都要发好几张自拍到朋友圈。.She posts several selfies to her Moments every day.
- 02我们在长城上自拍了一张照片作为纪念。.We took a selfie on the Great Wall as a souvenir.
Characters
Measure words
- 张一张自拍
Common collocations
- 自拍杆selfie stick
- 自拍照selfie photo
- 发自拍to post a selfie
- 爱自拍to love taking selfies
Origin
自拍 is a modern compound combining 自 (self) and 拍 (to photograph). It emerged in the 2000s as digital cameras and camera phones became widespread, mirroring similar terms in other languages like English 'selfie'.