The character 目的 is formed by combining two pictographic and ideographic components. The left part, 目, is a pictograph of an eye. The right part, 的, which originally depicted an archery target (with 白 suggesting clarity and 勺 representing the action of aiming), together create a conceptual compound. The formation visually and conceptually merges "the eye" with "the target", symbolizing the "goal" or "purpose" one looks toward and aims for.