自由 (zì yóu)

Character breakdown

• 自 (zì) · 6 strokes

  Pictograph of a nose. Original form of 鼻 (nose). In China, when people point to themselves, they typically point to their nose.

• 由 (yóu) · 5 strokes

  Depicts a kind of helmet worn by warriors. Based on the original meaning "helmet", now written as 胄. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.