一举
yī jǔ · HSK 7
at a stroke
☝️ 一 = one + 举 = lift/raise; one lift means a single move done at a stroke
举 means to raise or lift up; pair it with 一 (one) and you get one decisive raise of the hand — a single action or move. Think one-and-done: 一举成功 is to succeed at a stroke.
一 — single horizontal stroke
一 is one of the simplest pictographs in Chinese, depicting a single horizontal line to represent the number one. It has retained essentially the same form since oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. By extension it also means 'first,' 'whole,' or 'same.'
举 — hands 𠆢 + give 与 (simplified from 擧)
Originally written 擧, showing hands (手) lifting something together with the phonetic 與 'together'. The simplified form 举 keeps the idea of many hands raising up. Core meaning 'to lift, raise' extended to 'to launch, propose, hold (an event)'.