直到
zhídào · HSK 3
until
➡️🎯 直 = straight + 到 = arrive; 'straight until arriving' = until
直 means straight/direct and 到 means to arrive or reach. Together 直到 literally reads as 'straight through to the point of arrival,' which maps neatly onto the English sense of 'until' or 'up to' a moment.
直 — 十 ten + 目 eye + 乚 hidden line
Originally depicted an eye (目) looking straight along a vertical line, suggesting a direct, unswerving gaze. The form combines 目 'eye' with strokes indicating straightness. From this came the meanings 'straight,' 'upright,' and by extension 'honest' or 'direct.'
到 — 刂 knife + 至 (phonetic, 'arrive')
到 is a semantic-phonetic compound. 至 ('to arrive') gives both meaning and sound, while 刂 (knife) was added later, likely as a phonetic reinforcer or to distinguish the written form. The core sense 'to arrive, reach' comes directly from 至, and 到 has carried that meaning since early script forms.