必将
bì jiāng · HSK 6
inevitably
➡️ 必 = must + 将 = will/shall; together: must-will, i.e. inevitably
必 means must or certainly, and 将 is a future-tense marker meaning will or shall. Stacked, they form a strong assertion about the future: it will certainly happen — inevitably.
必 — heart 心 + slash 丿
Originally depicted a handle or marker driven through something, suggesting a fixed standard. The form was later reanalyzed as 心 (heart) with a stroke through it, reinforcing the sense of inner certainty. It came to mean 'must' or 'certainly'.
将 — 爿 (bed/plank) + 寸 (hand) + 月 (meat)
Originally depicted a hand (寸) holding meat (月) beside a table or altar (爿), suggesting offering meat at a ceremony — hence a leader or general who presides. The meaning extended to 'commander' and, as a function word, 'about to' or 'will'. The simplified form 将 streamlines 爿 into 丬.