矢

See also: 失, 先, and 笶

矢 U+77E2, 矢 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-77E2 ← 矡 [U+77E1] CJK Unified Ideographs 矣 → [U+77E3]

⽮ U+2F6E, ⽮ KANGXI RADICAL ARROW ← ⽭ [U+2F6D] Kangxi Radicals ⽯ → [U+2F6F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

矢 (Kangxi radical 111, 矢+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 人大 (OK), four-corner 8043₀, composition ⿱𠂉大 or ⿰㇒夫)

1. Kangxi radical #111, ⽮.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/矢
• 𠤑, 𠱈, 垁, 𭜟, 𪭨, 𪵳, 𨒔, 𪰕, 䀢, 䂠, 䛈, 聅, 䠶, 鉃, 𩶇, 𫨸, 𦘗, 雉, 𩲶, 鴙
• 𭰋, 𥿅, 𠤕, 𡧦, 㞺, 𫶬, 䒨, 𪰖, 𤼩, 𬐇, 𬙜, 笶, 医, 𡱁, 𢨻, 𢇻, 疾, 𤕺, 𪊢, 𨴊
• 侯, 候, 㑨, 族, 𨕀, 彘

See also

• 弓, 疑
• 至, which in early writing resembles 矢 pointing downward to the ground.

References

• KangXi: page 823, character 34
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23929
• Dae Jaweon: page 1235, character 22
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2580, character 1
• Unihan data for U+77E2

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		矢

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 矢
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (矢) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
彘	*l'eds
璏	*l'eds, *ɢʷleds, *ɢʷled
薙	*l̥ʰiːs, *ljiʔ, *l'iʔ
知	*ʔl'e
蜘	*te
智	*ʔl'es
鼅	*te
潪	*teɡs, *deɡ
踟	*de
雉	*l'iʔ
矢	*hliʔ
痴	*l̥ʰɯ

Pictogram (象形) – an arrow. More recognizable in older forms.

Etymology 1

arrow

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d/s-ləj (“bow (weapon); slingshot”); cognate with Burmese လေး (le:, “bow; crossbow”), Mizo li (“spring (as of gun, watch, etc.)”) (STEDT). 矢 has shifted its meaning from the weapon to the projectile by means of metonymy.

to swear, to vow

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “From sense "arrow"?”)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shǐ (shi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ci²
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ́

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si¹

• Min Bei (KCR): sǐ
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): sí / sír

  (Teochew, Peng'im): si²

• Wu (Wiktionary): sr (T2)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): shr³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: shǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˇ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyy
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih3
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ci²
    • Yale: chí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: qi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiː³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ́
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si³
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si¹
    • Sinological IPA: /sz̩⁴⁴/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sǐ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si²¹/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sí
    • Tâi-lô: sí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sie
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕi⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ɕi⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sír
    • Tâi-lô: sír
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: sr (T2)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: shr³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʂʐ̩⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /sz̩⁴¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /ɕˠiɪ^X/

Rime
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	Chongniu III
Fanqie	式視切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕˠiɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕᵚiX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕjiX/
Li Rong	/ɕjiX/
Wang Li	/ɕiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*l̥i[j]ʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*hliʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ syijX ›
Old Chinese	/*l̥i[j]ʔ/
English	arrow
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
No.	11504
Phonetic component	矢
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	矢
Old Chinese	/*hliʔ/

Definitions

矢

1. (Classical Chinese, archery, weaponry) arrow

   • 周道如砥，其直如矢。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōu dào rú dǐ, qí zhí rú shǐ. [Pinyin]

     The way to Zhou was like a whetstone,
     And straight as an arrow.

2. to vow; to swear

   • 夫子矢之曰：「予所否者，天厭之，天厭之！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫子矢之曰：“予所否者，天厌之，天厌之！” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Fūzǐ shǐ zhī yuē: “Yú suǒ pǐ zhě, tiān yǎn zhī, tiān yǎn zhī!” [Pinyin]

     [T]he Master swore, saying, "Wherein I have done improperly, may Heaven reject me! may Heaven reject me!"

Synonyms

• (arrow): 箭 (jiàn)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shǐ (shi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): si²
• Min Nan (Teochew, Peng'im): si²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: shǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˇ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyy
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih3
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: si²
    • Yale: sí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː³⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵²/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ɕˠiɪ^X/

Rime
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	書 (26)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	Chongniu III
Fanqie	式視切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɕˠiɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɕᵚiX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɕiɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɕjiX/
Li Rong	/ɕjiX/
Wang Li	/ɕiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɕiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si2

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*hliʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	矢
Reading #	1/1
No.	11504
Phonetic component	矢
Rime group	脂
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	矢
Old Chinese	/*hliʔ/

Definitions

矢

1. Alternative form of 屎 (shǐ, “excrement; poop”).

   • 夫愛馬者，以筐盛矢，以蜄盛溺。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫爱马者，以筐盛矢，以蜄盛溺。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Fú ài mǎ zhě, yǐ kuāng chéng shǐ, yǐ shèn chéng nì. [Pinyin]

     Those again who are fond of horses preserve their dung in baskets, and their urine in jars (made from large clamshell).

   • 廉將軍雖老，尚善飯；然與臣坐，頃之三遺矢矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     廉将军虽老，尚善饭；然与臣坐，顷之三遗矢矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Lián jiāngjūn suī lǎo, shàng shàn fàn; rán yǔ chén zuò, qǐngzhī sān yíshǐ yǐ. [Pinyin]

     General Lian, despite advanced age, has very good appetite. However, when conferring with me he had to excuse himself for toilet three times in a short while.

Compounds

• 一矢之地
• 嚆矢 (hāoshǐ)
• 弓矢 (gōngshǐ)
• 拉矢
• 有的放矢 (yǒudìfàngshǐ)
• 桃弧棘矢
• 桑弧蓬矢
• 楛矢
• 流矢
• 狗矢
• 矢下如雨
• 矢人 (shǐrén)
• 矢勤矢勇
• 矢口 (shǐkǒu)

• 矢在弦上
• 矢志 (shǐzhì)
• 矢棋
• 矢石 (shǐshí)
• 矢石如雨 (shǐshí rúyǔ)
• 矢言
• 矢量 (shǐliàng)
• 躬蹈矢石
• 集矢
• 兵盡矢窮／兵尽矢穷
• 弓折矢盡／弓折矢尽
• 張弓挾矢／张弓挟矢
• 攢矢／攒矢
• 栝矢亞／栝矢亚

• 永矢弗諼／永矢弗谖
• 無的放矢／无的放矢 (wúdìfàngshǐ)
• 發矢／发矢
• 眾矢之的／众矢之的 (zhòngshǐzhīdì)
• 矢不虛發／矢不虚发
• 矢口否認／矢口否认 (shǐkǒufǒurèn)
• 矢無虛發／矢无虚发
• 矢盡兵窮／矢尽兵穷
• 矢石之間／矢石之间
• 矢石之難／矢石之难
• 矢車菊／矢车菊 (shǐchējú)
• 身當矢石／身当矢石
• 鍛矢／锻矢
• 飛矢／飞矢

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Japanese

Kanji

矢

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. arrow

Readings

• Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kun: や (ya, 矢, Jōyō); さ (sa, 矢)
• Nanori: ただ (tada); ただし (tadashi); ちこう (chikō)^{←ちかう (tikau, historical)}; なお (nao)^{←なほ (nafo, historical)}

Compounds

Compounds

• 矢刃(しじん) (shijin)
• 矢(し)石(せき) (shiseki)
• 一矢(いっし) (isshi)
• 嚆矢(こうし) (kōshi)
• 矢張(やは)り (yahari), 矢(や)っ張(ぱ)り (yappari)

Usage notes

Used in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨si⟩.

Alternative forms

Kanji in this term
矢
や Grade: 2
kun’yomi

• 箭

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712 CE, and in the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759 CE.

Edo-era ceremonial arrowhead depicting an arrow.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) や​ [yáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ja̠]

Noun

矢(や) • (ya) 

1. (archery, weaponry) an arrow
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 3, poem 364), text here

     大夫(ますらを)之(の)弓(ゆ)上(ずゑ)振(ふり)起(おこし)射都流(いつる)矢(や)乎(を)後(のち)将見(みむ)人(ひと)者(は)語(かたり)継(つぐ)金(がね) [Man'yōgana]

     ますらをの弓(ゆ)末(ずゑ)振(ふ)り起(おこ)し射(い)つる矢(や)を後(のち)見(み)む人(ひと)は語(かた)り継(つ)ぐがね [Modern spelling]

     masurao no yuzue furiokoshi itsuru ya o nochi mimu hito wa kataritsugu gane

     (please add an English translation of this example)

   光(こう)陰(いん)矢(や)の如(ごと)し。

   Kōin ya no gotoshi.

   Shine and shadow, just like an arrow. → Time flies like an arrow.

2. a wedge used to break hard objects such as wood or stone
3. a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with various designs of arrows

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 矢(や)面(おもて), 矢(や)表(おもて) (yaomote)
• 矢(や)傷(きず), 矢(や)疵(きず) (yakizu)
• 矢(や)倉(ぐら) (yagura)
• 矢(や)印(じるし) (yajirushi)
• 矢(や)継(つぎ), 矢継(やつ)ぎ (yatsugi)
• 矢(や)壺(つぼ), 矢(や)坪(つぼ) (yatsubo)
• 矢(や)所(どころ) (yadokoro)
• 流鏑馬(やぶさめ) (yabusame)
• 乙(おと)矢(や) (otoya)
• 落(お)とし矢(や), 落(おと)し矢(や) (otoshiya)
• 差(さし)矢(や), 差(さ)し矢(や) (sashiya)
• 猟(さつ)矢(や), 幸(さつ)矢(や) (satsuya)
• 猟(しし)矢(や), 鹿(しし)矢(や) (shishiya)
• 素矢(すや), 徒矢(すや) (suya)
• 征矢(そや) (soya)
• 止(とめ)矢(や), 止(と)め矢(や) (tomeya)
• 甲矢(はや), 兄矢(はや), 早矢(はや) (haya)
• 弓(ゆみ)矢(や) (yumiya, “bow and arrow”)

Coordinate terms

• 弓(ゆみ) (yumi, “bow”)

Proper noun

矢(や) • (Ya) 

1. a place name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
矢
さ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.

Possibly cognate with Old Japanese-derived 幸 (sachi, “a hunting implement”) and Korean 살 (sal, “arrow”).

This reading does not appear to be used in modern Japanese.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• IPA^(key): [sa̠]

Noun

矢(さ) • (sa) 

1. (obsolete) an arrow
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 20, poem 4430), text here

     阿良之乎乃(あらしをの)伊乎(いを)佐(さ)太波佐美(たはさみ)牟可比多知(むかひたち)可奈流麻之都美(かなるましづみ)伊埿弖登阿我久流(いでてとあがくる) [Man'yōgana]

     荒(あら)し男(を)のいをさ手(た)挟(はさ)み向(むか)ひ立(た)ちかなるましづみ出(い)でてと我(あ)が来(く)る [Modern spelling]

     arasi-wo no iwo-sa tapasami mukapi-tati kanaruma sidumi idete to a ga kuru

     (please add an English translation of this example)

Derived terms

• 戦(いくさ), 軍(いくさ) (ikusa)
• 投(な)ぐる矢(さ)の (naguru sa no, pillow word)

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Khitan

Noun

矢 (khi)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Related terms

• 矢关 (“khitai”)

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Korean

Hanja

矢 (eumhun 화살 시 (hwasal si))

1. Hanja form^? of 시 (“arrow”).

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Vietnamese

Han character

矢: Hán Nôm readings: thỉ, tẻ, thẻ, yêu, tử, tủ, tú, siệu

Hán tự in this term
矢

Noun

矢

1. chữ Hán form of thỉ (“arrow”).
2. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation
• Thiều Chửu : Hán Việt Tự Điển Hà Nội 1942
• Trần Văn Chánh: Từ Điển Hán Việt NXB Trẻ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999
• Vũ Văn Kính: Đại Tự Điển Chữ Nôm, NXB Văn Nghệ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999