About
The character 矣 originated in early Chinese as a phonetic loan character representing a grammatical particle that signaled completion or affirmation within a sentence. Its structural composition in the traditional form places the component 厶, denoting 'private,' above 矢, meaning 'arrow,' a configuration that likely reflects a later analytical interpretation rather than its original phonetic basis. Initially a common sentence-final particle in classical texts to express a realized state or conclusive tone, its application gradually contracted over time, and in modern usage it survives principally within set literary expressions or formal writing, having ceased to function as an active grammatical element in everyday language.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
比赛结束矣。
他已成功矣。
此事已定矣。
我已明白矣。
会议已经开始矣。
我们终于完成工作矣。
既然你已道歉，我便原谅你矣。
历经磨难，此事终成矣。