之 (zhī)
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]); him; her; it
- HSK 3.1 level 7
- 3 strokes
Etymology
Pictograph of a foot (止) going out of an area. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》：“之，出也。象艸過屮，枝莖益大有所之。一者，地也。”
Original meaning
go forwards
Components
- 止 (sound, iconic) — Depicts a foot.
- 一 (iconic) — Used here to depict an area.