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自言自语

zì yán zì yǔ

to talk to yourself

Character by character

自zì
self
言yán
speak
自zì
self
语yǔ
talk

Example

他一边走一边自言自语。
He was talking to himself as he walked.

Tone: neutral.

Usage and origin

Everyday; often with 一边…一边 or 在那儿.

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