These are the characters in this series. To see them put together in a story, click on the image above to access the pdf. Then review and quiz yourself at the bottom.
壳
ké
shell [n.]
士 + 冗
soldier + superfluous
To this soldier in training, an extra shell of armor seems superfluous. OR Prince Superfluous is sent off as a soldier and dies in a shelling.
枕
zhěn
pillow
木 + 冘yín
tree/wood + crown prince
The crown prince is convinced that a wooden pillow is good for his posture.
挥
huī
brandish
扌 + 军
hand + chariot
The army prince practices the military arts: brandishing a sword with his hand and driving a chariot. OR 扌 + 冖 + 车 hand + crown + vehicle beauty queen riding in a parade waves her hand
傍
bàng
close to
亻 + 旁páng
persona + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The person by your side is close to you.”
耽
dān
indulge
耳 + 冘yín
ear + crown prince
Anyone listening to the crown prince must indulge him.
缔
dì
knotted up
纟 + 帝dì
threads + sovereign
A new tailor is hired by the sovereign, but he gets knotted up in threads during the fitting, and the tailor is fired.
膀
bǎng
upper arm
月 + 旁páng
body part + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The body part by your side is your upper arm.”
榜
bǎng
roster
木 + 旁páng
wood + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The wooden tablet by my side is the ship’s roster."
沉
chén
profound
氵 + 冗
water + superfluous
At the prince's funeral by the lake, there is profound stillness on the water, no superfluous sound.
冘
yín
*crown prince
冖 + 儿
crown + human legs
the next human in line for the crown
蒂
dì
fruit stem
艹 + 帝dì
flowers + sovereign
If you picture this royal family on a family tree, the sovereign is the stem, and the children are the flowering branches.
冖
mì
*crown
“秃宝盖”
磅
bàng
pound [n.]
石 + 旁páng
stone + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The stone by my side weighs a pound.”
冠
guān
crown
冖 + 元 + 寸
crown + beginning + thumb
This is the full form of the character for “crown.” It shows the crown’s line of descent from the beginning, each adding his/her thumbprint.
蹄
tí
hoof
足 + 帝dì
lower leg + sovereign
The sovereign is always on a horse, so its hooves are really just an extension of his lower legs.
毫
háo
milli-
(亠口冖) + 毛máo
tiara + fur
Princess Bling makes a math class breakthrough when her teacher says "a million" is like the number of hairs in her fur stole.
鹤
hè
crane
冖 + 隹 + 鸟
crown + special bird + bird
The crane is the crowned royal special bird of all birds.
浓
nóng
concentrated
氵 + 农nóng
water + agriculture
The agriculture princess‘s new product: concentrated agriculture in a bottle—just add water!
冤
yuān
injustice
冖 + 兔
crown + rabbit
It is injustice that the royal rabbit accidentally gets eaten for supper.
牵
qiān
lead along
大 + 冖 + 牛
large dog + crown + cow
There is a large dog that is the seeing eye dog for the royal cow, who is now blind, leading him along.
啼
tí
weep aloud
口 + 帝dì
mouth + sovereign
The sovereign is weeping aloud for the loss of his wife.
沈
shěn
Shen
氵 + 冘yín
water + crown prince
Shen is the crown prince’s valet, responsible for washing him, dressing him, etc.
壶
hú
kettle
士 + 冖 + 业
soldier + crown + profession
This soldier put his mess hall experience to use as a professional kettle keeper for the crown.
泻
xiè
diarrhea
氵 + 写xiě
water + write
The mischievous prince gets pay back for snitching fried pork rinds from the kitchen: watery diarrhea.
晕
yūn
dizzy
日 + 军jūn
sun + chariot
Driving in his chariot, the prince is dazzled by the sun and gets dizzy, veering off the path.
滞
zhì
stagnant
氵 + 带
water + sash
Princess Beauty loses a pageant, throws her sash into the moat, where you can still see it floating because of the stagnant water.
农
nóng
agriculture
冖 + 𧘇
crown + scarf
This princess has taken on the improvement of the realm’s agriculture. Like a 4-H queen, she can be seen wearing a crown and scarf.
辉
huī
radiance
光 + 军
ray + chariot
The army prince feels the best next to a chariot, rays radiantly bouncing off the shiny chrome and his crown.
帝
dì
sovereign
立lì + 冖 + 巾
stand up + crown + towel
You’ve heard of the story: “The Sovereign’s New Clothes”? The sovereign stands up in front of his subjects wearing only a crown and towel.
军
jūn
army, *chariot
冖 + 车
crown + vehicle
This prince is put in charge of the army. His symbol is the crowned chariot.
浑
hún
engulf
氵 + 军jūn
water + chariot
While chariot-driving on the beach, the prince is engulfed by a big wave.
豪
háo
unrestrained
(亠口冖) + 豕
tiara + sow
Princess Bling has been called Little Miss Piggy for her unrestrained vanity.
冗
rǒng
superfluous
冖 + 几
crown + wind
This prince is a royal airhead. He is really quite superfluous.
V
*tiara
亠 + 口 + 冖
top hat + mouth + crown
A tiara is a modified 高; a crown where the front part is taller
"This princess likes bling, especially her tiara." (Royal Family)
写
xiě
write
冖 + 与
crown + offer/slingshot
written offer of marriage from the crown
"The Crown Prince is learning to write at a desk, but his slingshot is underneath." (Royal Family)
亭
tíng
pavilion
V + 丁dīng
tiara + nail
"Princess Bling’s favorite pavilion looks like a tiara on a big nail." (Royal Family)
旁
páng
side [n.], *Columbus
立 + 冖 + 方fāng
stand up + crown + compass
"This prince is an adventurer. Like Columbus, he stands up to the crown with a compass by his side and declares 'the earth is round'." (Royal Family)
亮
liàng
shiny
V + 几
tiara + wind
"Princess Bling uses pressurized cans of air to clean her tiaras to make them shiny." (Royal Family)
带
dài
sash
卅 + 冖 + 巾
30 + crown + towel
"This princess is a beauty. Here she is the winner of a beauty pageant with a studded (30-jewel) crown and sash, her dress no bigger than a towel." (Royal Family)