始终 (shǐ zhōng)

Character breakdown

• 始 (shǐ) · 8 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 台 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "elder sister", now written as 姒. The meaning later shifted to "first" and "start".

• 终 (zhōng) · 8 strokes

  Simplified form of 終. Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 冬 represents the sound.