The kanji 就 primarily conveys the idea of "to take," "to engage in," "to follow," or "to go towards" something. It implies a sense of entering into a state, a role, or a situation. It often suggests the act of beginning or starting something, whether it be a job, a study, or a specific task.

・On-yomi (音読み): シュウ (shuu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つく (tsu'ku)

⚫︎就職 Translation: Employment, getting a job ⚫︎就任 Translation: Taking office, assuming a post ⚫︎就寝 Translation: Going to bed, going to sleep

The kanji 就 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 尤(yú), which originally depicted a type of bag or container, and later developed the meaning of "especially" or "outstanding." The right side is 京(jīng), meaning "capital" or "high." Together, 就 initially meant "to be in accordance with," suggesting agreement or being brought together. Over time, the meaning shifted to "to approach" or "to go towards" something, and subsequently developed the meaning of "to take a position" or "to start."