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有的放矢 (yǒu dì fàng shǐ) — to act with a clear objective; (idiom) purposeful; targeted

Definition

A 成语 meaning 'aimed and pointed' — take deliberate, well-targeted action toward a specific goal, the opposite of acting aimlessly (漫无目的).

phrase
to act with a clear objective
idiom
purposefultargeted

Examples

  • 有的放矢，。
    Zuò rèn hé shì qing dōu yào yǒu dì fàng shǐ, bù néng màn wú mù dì.
    Whatever you do, you must have a clear objective, not aimlessly.
  • 有的放矢，。
    Zhì dìng zhèng cè bì xū yǒu dì fàng shǐ, jiě jué zuì jǐn pò de wèn tí.
    Policy-making must be targeted at solving the most urgent problems.
  • 有的放矢，。
    Xuān chuán yào yǒu dì fàng shǐ, zhēn duì tè dìng qún tǐ shè jì nèi róng.
    Publicity should be purposeful, designing content for specific groups.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
白白báiwhite
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo的de
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

的 pairs 白, related to white or brightness, with 勺, which gives a clue to the sound. Its older form 旳 meant bright.

Open 的 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

矢's shape is an old picture of an arrow. The arrow is easier to see in older forms than in the modern 矢.

Open 矢 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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