誓 means “vow, swear”

ちかう · chikau

Also: pledge

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ちかう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

セイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 14 strokes

The story

Words (言) under 折, to snap: picture a promise sealed by breaking an arrow in two. 誓う is to swear, 誓い is a vow, and every national high school baseball tournament opens with a captain reciting the 選手宣誓, the players' oath.

Used in 誓う (chikau, to swear/vow), 宣誓 (sensei, oath), and 誓約 (seiyaku, pledge)

More from Grit & Resolve

• 忍 endure
• 挫 setback
• 堪 hold back
• 諦 give up
• 志 aspiration
• 徹 thorough
• 貫 pierce
• 頑 stubborn
• 耐 withstand
• 克 overcome
• 遂 accomplish

Learn 誓 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.