射
shèyìyèshí HSK5

shoot

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approved by Hsmq · Apr 10, 2026, 10:59 AM · Reviewed by Marcus Ngai on Apr 10, 2026, 12:22 PM

◎ → 弓 + 矢

Changed fields: hint, components, strokeDataSimp, fragmentsSimp, historicalImages

Depicts a hand (又) pulling back a bowstring (弓) with an arrow (矢) to shoot. Later written as 身 and 寸.

Components

弓
弓 Iconic component

Depicts a bow.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 弓 than it was in ancient scripts.
矢
矢 IconicRemnant component

Depicts an arrow.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 矢 than it was in ancient scripts.
寸
寸 Iconic component

Originally 又 but later reanalyzed as 寸. Depicts a hand.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzyaeHCə.lAk-s shoot; archer
zyekCə.lAk hit with bow and arrow

說文解字

《說文》：“，弓弩發於身而中於遠也。从矢，从身。射，篆文从寸。寸，法度也，亦手也。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)