Definitions
(verb)
to stop; to halt
(adverb)
until; only
Etymology
Pictograph of a foot. The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "stop".
About
The character "止" originates as a pictograph of a foot with toes, a form which conceptually represented the foundation of standing still and, by extension, the act of stopping itself. Its core meaning transitioned from a concrete noun to the more abstract verbal sense of "to stop" or "to prohibit", a semantic shift that solidified in early usage. This fundamental meaning of cessation then became the operative principle when "止" was employed as a semantic component within numerous traditional compound characters, such as "步" (to walk), where it signifies the foot or the action of the foot, and "正" (correct), where it conveys the idea of stopping at a proper boundary or limit. Over time, its role expanded beyond physical stoppage to denote concepts of staying, residing, and even halting actions in a moral or administrative sense, thereby anchoring a family of ideas related to restraint, location, and correctness.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
比赛停止了。
这里禁止吸烟。
他止住了哭声。
疼痛逐渐止住了。
学习永无止境。
他的行为止于礼貌。
政府必须制止犯罪。
这种药能有效止咳。