射 shè to shoot
to shoot; to eject; to emit
How it came to be
A bow with the arrow on the string, and a hand behind about to let go. The bow was later mistaken for a body, so the modern character looks like a person with a ruler.
How it is used
- To shoot/emit (a projectile, ray, or fluid) - 射击 (shèjī) shoot (firing), 发射 (fāshè) launch (rocket/missile), 射门 (shèmén) shoot at goal.
- For light/rays: 照射 (zhàoshè) shine on, 反射 (fǎnshè) reflect, 折射 (zhéshè) refract, 放射 (fàngshè) radiate.
- Medical 注射 (zhùshè) = injection. Core idea: something propelled out in a straight line.