| 之 | 957A20 63.83 | 部居  | 畫數 4 | ㄓ [zhi1] (*'ㄓ [zhi1] ). | ||
| Fin.part. | (*'[zhi1]) (LL) corresponding in meaning to “it”: 總之，總而言之 to sum it up; 要之 the important point is; 易地而居之，則皆然 if they changed places, they would behave in the same way. | |||||
| N. | The character 之：之字路 an S-shaped road; 不識之無 do not know even the simplest characters; 之乎者也 four words recognized as fin. part. of the literary language. | |||||
| Pron. | (*[zhi1zhi0]) (1) (a) (LL, used in objective case) it, him, her, them: 怒目視之 stare at it (him); 取而代之 take it over; 勸之不聽，殺之可也 try to persuade him and if he won't listen, you can kill him; 妻之以女 marry one's daughter to him; 然之 (LL) approve of it; 諾之，許之 (LL) promise him (her) or it; 獎之 (LL) reward him; 呼之 call him; (b) in AC, oft. precedes negative vb.: 未之知，未之聞，未之見 never knew it, heard it, or saw it (cf. 不我知 do not know me); 奈之何，如之何 “why stand for it” － why, how. (2) LL used to indicate possessive case, see Prep. ↓. | |||||
| V.i. | (AC & LL) to go: 君將何之 where are you going? 不知所之 do not know where (person) went; 將之楚 was going to 楚; 心之所之 where the mind longs to be. | |||||
| Adj. | (AC) this: 之子于歸 (AC) this girl is going to her new home; 之人地，之德也 (AC) this type of man, this type of conduct. | |||||
| Prep. | (1) Possessive part., “of”, like vern. 的: 汝之過也 this is your fault; 夫子之文章 the literary knowledge of the Master; used largely in mod. Chin. writing where there are several “of's”, 之 may replace 的 for variation or dropped: thus “the development of rural education of Taiwan” may be 今日臺灣（的）鄉村教育之發展 or 的發展; 之謂 be the meaning of; 政者，正之謂也 the meaning of 政 (government) is 正 (order). (2) A preposition of position placed after the n. it governs; thus “before the table” 桌之前；桌之後，之上，之下 behind, on, under the table; 之中，之間 the midst of; 普天之下 all under heaven; 談話之中，之間 in (during) the talk; 之外 besides, outside; 月薪之外 beside the monthly salary. (3) (AC) until: 之死矢靡他 I will never marry another person until death. (4) To: 人之其（＝於其）所親而愛焉 man loves those to whom he is related. | |||||