矣

yǐ

厶 + 矢

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

yǐ classical final particle, similar to modern 了[le]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 㠯 represents the sound and 矢 represents the meaning.

About

矣 is a phono-semantic compound: 矢 (shǐ, 'arrow') lends the meaning, and 㠯 (yǐ), an early form of 以, provides the sound. Though its components suggest a concrete origin, the character functions almost entirely as a grammatical particle in Classical Chinese. It always concludes a sentence, signaling the completion of an action, a change of state, or a tone of certainty and exclamation, closely akin to the modern particle 了 (le). 矣 carries no substantive lexical meaning and has fallen out of use in everyday speech, surviving primarily in written texts, set phrases, and historical documents.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

比赛结束矣。

bǐ sài jié shù yǐ.

The competition is over.

他已成功矣。

tā yǐ chéng gōng yǐ.

He has already succeeded.

此事已定矣。

cǐ shì yǐ dìng yǐ.

This matter is already settled.

我已明白矣。

wǒ yǐ míng bái yǐ.

I already understand.

会议已经开始矣。

huì yì yǐ jīng kāi shǐ yǐ.

The meeting has already started.

我们终于完成工作矣。

wǒ men zhōng yú wán chéng gōng zuò yǐ.

We have finally completed the work.

既然你已道歉，我便原谅你矣。

jì rán nǐ yǐ dào qiàn, wǒ biàn yuán liàng nǐ yǐ.

Since you have apologized, I forgive you now.

历经磨难，此事终成矣。

lì jīng mó nàn, cǐ shì zhōng chéng yǐ.

After enduring hardships, this matter is finally accomplished.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 厶

Component: 矢