射击 means 'to shoot (a weapon)' — specifically the act of discharging a firearm, bow, or similar projectile device. The character 射 (shè) originally meant 'to shoot an arrow' and carries the core idea of aiming and launching; 击 (jī) means 'to strike' or 'to hit', emphasizing the forceful impact. Together, 射击 conveys the full action: aiming, firing, and hitting a target. It’s commonly used in military, law enforcement, sports (e.g., Olympic shooting), and self-defense contexts.

This word is primarily verbal and often appears in compound structures like 射击训练 (shooting training), 射击场 (shooting range), or 射击比赛 (shooting competition). While it can be used as a noun (e.g., 他的射击很准 — 'His shooting is very accurate'), its fundamental grammatical role is verbal. Unlike casual terms like 打枪 (dǎ qiāng, 'to fire a gun'), 射击 sounds more formal, technical, or official — you’d hear it in news reports, regulations, or professional instruction rather than everyday conversation about hunting or play.