至
zhì · HSK 5
to arrive; most
🎯 Etymology: a bird/arrow reaching the ground — the point of arrival.
至 is an ancient pictograph of an arrow striking the earth, marking the endpoint of its flight. From that root it means to arrive, and by extension up to or until — the limit something reaches.
至 — arrow 矢 inverted + ground 一
至 is a pictograph showing an arrow (矢) landing point-down on the ground (一), depicting the moment it reaches its target. The original meaning was 'to arrive' or 'to reach,' which extended to 'utmost' or 'extreme' — the point beyond which one cannot go further.