Oneself
On One's Own Initiative, Personally
noun, adverb
The kanji self is all by itself! So, naturally, this word means oneself. Don't let the ら on the end confuse you, by the way — this word is singular.
Like 自分, 自ら means "oneself," but it's mostly used in formal or literary contexts. It can also be used as an adverb to mean on one's own initiative to emphasize voluntary action, or personally to highlight direct involvement — for example, 自ら辞める (to quit on one's own initiative) or 自ら謝る (to personally apologize).
This word uses 自's kun'yomi reading. You haven't learned this reading yet, so here's a mnemonic to help you remember it:
If one prefers not to drive oneself, a great alternative option is the 水-car (みずか). It's a self-driving car that runs entirely on 水, rather than gas, allowing one to fight climate change on one's own initiative while never needing to personally take the wheel. Stop by your local dealership and get yourself a 水-car today!
自らの手
with one's own hands
自らの責任
one's own responsibility
自らの判断
one's own judgment
自ら考える
to think for oneself
自ら進んで
willingly, voluntarily
自ら行動する
to personally take action
自らが行う
to carry out oneself
自らが持つ
to have oneself, to personally possess
自らが考える
to think oneself
自らを大事にする
to take care of oneself
自らを守る
to protect oneself
自らを高める
to improve oneself
自ら学ぶ姿勢が大切なんです。
An inclination to learn on one's own is important.
自らを高めるため、毎日ヨガは欠かせません。
Daily yoga is indispensable for my self-improvement.
そんなこと言ったって、自ら進んでハバネロを食べたのは君だろう？
Say what you will, but you're the one who willingly ate the habanero, aren't you?
社長自らお客さんに謝るなんて珍しいね。
It's rare for the president to personally apologize to a customer like that, huh.