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jìng
quiet
青qīng + 争zhēng
green-blue + contend
Character Notes

Picture the quiet after the storm, clear green-blue skies after contention.

Character Comparison
Series

lián
one after another
车 + 辶
vehicle + road
Character Notes

One after Another Vehicles: Families are loading their vehicles, and one after another they are fleeing Oklahoma. (1930's On the Road)

Character Comparison

lún
wheel
车 + 仑lún
vehicle + lifeguard
Character Notes

You use the lifeguard’s ring buoy as a spare wheel for a vehicle that broke down at the beach.

Character Comparison

shì
clan
丿 + 𠄌 + w
slash + plow + "weapon"
Character Notes

family crest: slash your land with a plow and defend your clan with a weapon (弋-丶)

Character Comparison

yuàn
wish [n.]
原yuán + 心
original + heart
Character Notes

What was the original wish of your heart?

Character Comparison

assets
次cì + 贝
next + shells
Character Notes

Next, next, next,” you are counting your shells, or your assets.

Character Comparison

bèi
prepare
夂 + 田
walking legs + field
Character Notes

preparing for spring planting, walking around the fields

Character Comparison

jiāng
Yangtze
氵 + 工
water + I-beam/work
Character Notes

The Yangtze is a working river.

Picture the Three Gorges Dam in the Yangtze built of I-beams.

Character Comparison

yuán
Yuan
土 + 口 + 𧘇
soil + mouth + scarf
Character Notes

Picture a man named Yuan, silenced with soil and mouth tied with a scarf.

Character Comparison
Series

fǎn
go back
反fǎn + 辶
against + road
Character Notes

Go Back Against: As Okies flow west, legislators from California go east, back against the flow, to Washington to demand support for migrants. (1930's On the Road)

Character Comparison

xuē
boots
革 + 化
leather + transform
Character Notes

boots have transformed from leather to rubber

Character Comparison
Series

be informed
釆 + 心xīn
droppings + heart
Character Notes

The droppings inform your heart where to go.

Character Comparison

dòu
beans
Character Notes
Character Comparison

è
evil [n./adj.]
亚yà + 心
Asia + heart
Character Notes

Asian black-hearted bosses

Character Comparison

tún
wonton (B)
饣 + 屯tún
food + stockpile
Character Notes

stockpile family-recipe wontons

Character Comparison

āi
get close to
扌 + 矣yǐ
hand + Dart family tomb
Character Notes

Hand in hand, they get close to each other at the Dart family tomb.

Character Comparison

fēn
atmosphere
气 + 分fēn
air + part
Character Notes

The air in the atmosphere is made of part nitrogen and part oxygen.

You can improve the atmosphere of a place by dividing the air into parts: smoking and non-.

Character Comparison
Series

gōng
respectful
共gòng + ⺗
together + valentine
Character Notes

words to your valentine: 恭喜, together forever

Character Comparison

kǎo
take an exam
耂lǎo + 丂kǎo
old person + broken bow/5
Character Notes

Picture an old person as the proctor of the SAT exam--all he says is “5 minutes”.

Old person Confucius scored a perfect 5 on the exam.

Character Comparison
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