至此
zhì cǐ · HSK 7
up until now
🏁 至 = reach + 此 = this point; reach this point = up to here, so far
至 means reach or up to, 此 means this. Together reach-this-point marks how far things have gone so far.
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.
此 — foot 止 + spoon/person 匕
此 originally depicted a person (匕) standing with a foot (止), suggesting 'to stop here' or 'this place.' Over time the meaning generalized from a specific location to the demonstrative pronoun 'this.' The foot component still hints at the original sense of standing in a particular spot.