旨 (zhǐ) — purpose; intention; aim (in compounds); imperial decree; edict (in historical contexts)
Definition
旨 is a bound morpheme meaning 'aim, purpose' — almost always used in compounds like 宗旨, 要旨, or 主旨. In historical texts, 圣旨 means 'imperial edict'.
bound form
purposeintentionaim (in compounds)imperial decreeedict (in historical contexts)
Examples
- 。Zhè cì huì yì de zhǔ zhǐ shì tǎo lùn huán bǎo wèn tí.The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss environmental issues.
- ，。Huáng dì xià le yí dào shèng zhǐ, yāo qiú quán guó jiǎn shuì.The emperor issued an imperial edict ordering a nationwide tax cut.
- 。Wǒ men de zōng zhǐ shì ràng gèng duō rén liǎo jiě zhōng guó wén huà.Our purpose is to help more people understand Chinese culture.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
匕
匕bǐ旨zhǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
旨 combines 甘, meaning delicious, with 匕, a spoon used to taste food; 匕 also gives the sound.
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