就 from HSK Level 1 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 就 (jiù) is composed of two parts: the radical 辵 (chuò), which represents walking or movement, and the phonetic component 就 (jiù), which represents a hand holding a tool. The original meaning of 就 is "to approach" or "to come near". In modern Chinese, 就 has a wide range of meanings, including "to do", "to complete", "to be about to", and "to agree".The character 就 is first seen in oracle bone script, the earliest form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 就 is depicted as a person holding a tool in their hand. This image suggests that the original meaning of 就 was related to work or labor.In the seal script, the second form of Chinese writing, 就 is depicted as a person walking with a staff in their hand. This image suggests that the meaning of 就 had expanded to include the idea of movement or travel.In the clerical script, the third form of Chinese writing, 就 is depicted as a person holding a tool in their hand and standing next to a table. This image suggests that the meaning of 就 had further expanded to include the idea of work or labor.In the modern script, the fourth and final form of Chinese writing, 就 is depicted as a person holding a tool in their hand and standing next to a table. This image is similar to the image in the clerical script, but the person is now holding a different tool. This suggests that the meaning of 就 had continued to evolve and change over time.Today, 就 is one of the most common characters in the Chinese language. It is used in a wide variety of words and phrases, and it has a wide range of meanings.