矣
sentence particle
Strokes7
Readings
On'yomi
- イ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
矣 is a classical Chinese sentence-final particle that marks completion, change of state, or emphasis. It has no standalone meaning in modern Japanese beyond its grammatical function in literary contexts.
Study
Etymology
矣 is an ancient sentence-final particle. Its graphical origin is uncertain; the modern form combines 厶 (top) and 矢 (bottom), but this is likely a later stylization rather than a direct semantic compound.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 厶 looks like a private thought, and the bottom 矢 is an arrow. Imagine an arrow of finality shooting out from a private thought, marking the end of a sentence.
Reading mnemonic
For イ, imagine an English 'e' sound at the end of a sentence, like a drawn-out 'eh' marking completion: 'eh' -> イ.