矢 meaning and stroke order
Arrow, dart; to vow, to swear
How to write 矢, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 矢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- arrow
- dart
- straight
- to vow
- to swear
- old variant of 屎[shi3]
How 矢 is built
Pictographic character. An arrow pointing upwards.
How to remember 矢
矢 (shǐ) is a picture of an arrow pointing upwards. The top stroke 丿 is the arrowhead, and the shape below that looks like 天 is the shaft and the feathered tail.
矢 is mostly found in idioms and formal written Chinese. In everyday speech people say 箭 (jiàn) for arrow. A common idiom is 有的放矢 (yǒudì-fàngshǐ), to shoot with a target in mind. Example: 我们做事要有的放矢。(Wǒmen zuòshì yào yǒudì-fàngshǐ.) We should act with a clear goal.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 矢 (shǐ) with 失 (shī, to lose). In 失 the vertical stroke pokes through the top, but in 矢 it does not. Also keep the third tone on 矢.
Common words with 矢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 有的放矢 | yǒudì-fàngshǐ | lit. to have a target in mind when shooting one's arrows (idiom); fig. to have a clear obj | HSK 7-9 |
矢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 矢
Learning 矢 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 矢
How many strokes are in 矢?
矢 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 矢 mean?
矢 (shǐ) means arrow, dart; to vow, to swear. A common word with it is 有的放矢 (yǒudì-fàngshǐ), meaning "lit. to have a target in mind when shooting one's arrows (idiom); fig. to have a clear obj".
How do you pronounce 矢?
矢 is pronounced shǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 矢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 矢 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How does 矢 mean to vow or swear?
In formal phrases 矢 can mean to vow. You see this in 矢志不渝 (shǐzhì bù yú), to vow never to change one's resolve. This sense is literary and not used in casual speech.
Why does 矢 appear in characters like 短 and 知?
矢 is the radical in 短 (duǎn, short) and 知 (zhī, to know). Spotting it can help you look up these characters and remember their shapes.