矢 shǐ arrow
arrow; to vow; to swear
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
The oldest form is an arrow pointing up, with the head at the top and the feathers at the bottom.
用法
- An arrow (literary/classical): 有的放矢 (yǒudì-fàngshǐ), to shoot with a target in mind, means to act purposefully/to the point (opposite of 无的放矢 aimless).
- 矢志不渝 (shǐzhì-bùyú) means to vow steadfastly and never waver. Also means to vow/swear.