The kanji 誓 represents the concept of a promise, vow, or pledge. It conveys the idea of making a solemn declaration, often involving a commitment to a certain action or belief. It implies a strong sense of integrity and a binding obligation.

・On-yomi (音読み): セイ (sei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ちか（う） (chika(u))

⚫︎ 誓い (chikai) Translation: oath, vow, pledge ⚫︎ 宣誓 (sensei) Translation: declaration, swearing an oath ⚫︎ 誓う (chika u) Translation: to vow, to swear, to pledge

The kanji 誓 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The left side is 言 (gen/koto), meaning "word" or "speech", and the right side is 折 (setsu/oru), which means "to break" or "to bend". Together, the character signifies "to make a promise as serious as breaking or bending something", indicating the binding and serious nature of a vow or pledge. It underscores that breaking a vow has dire consequences.