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xué
study
Nxué + 子
schoolhouse + child
Character Notes

A child studies in a schoolhouse.

Character Comparison

bèi
back [n.]
北běi + 月
north + body part
Character Notes

north is the "backside" traditionally (compasses and houses pointed south)

Character Comparison

chā
insert [v.]
扌 + 千 + 臼
hand + thousand + rib cage
Character Notes

picture a thousand wires twisted into a cord that a hand is inserting into Iron Man's rib cage

Character Comparison
Series

pear
利lì + 木
profit + tree
Character Notes

earn profit harvesting your pear trees at the same time as your grain

Character Comparison

hàn
sweat [n.]
氵 + 干gān
water + dry/clothesline
Character Notes

dry the wet sweat from your workout clothes on the clothesline OR sweat as you hang the clothes out to dry

Character Comparison

yīng
ought to
广 + O
cave + owl
Character Notes

Now the pet you ought to have in a cave is an owl. It wouldn’t bother you during the day and could hunt for you at night. (Hunter-Gatherer)

Character Comparison

suì
tunnel [n.]
阝 + 遂suì
pinnacle + satisfy
Character Notes

The pinnacle of satisfaction for the groom is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, when you are on the road to Hawaii. (picture a luau with a roasted horned pig)

Character Comparison

gōng
achievement
工gōng + 力
I-beam + muscle
Character Notes

bench pressing I-beams to build muscle is an achievement OR China displays its achievement through I-beams of power

Character Comparison

xiē
some
此 + 二
this [literary] + two
Character Notes

二 reminds you that "some" means more than one. There is some literary value in nursery rhymes.

alternatively: 止 + 匕 + 二 footprint + spoon + two, There are some (at least two) pieces of evidence (from the nursery rhyme): a footprint and a spoon.

此二些 cǐ èr xiē

Character Comparison

dēng
lamp
火 + 丁dīng
fire + nail
Character Notes

modern transparent light bulb lamp that looks like a nail on fire

Character Comparison

mèi
younger sister
女 + 未wèi
woman + not yet
Character Notes

Picture your younger sister, always being told “not yet”.

A younger sister, named Mae, is not yet a woman.

Character Comparison

zhē
*booyah
广 + 廿 + 灬
cave + twenty + cooking fire
Character Notes

A big cave celebration calls for a big pot of booyah, a stew made over the fire with any twenty ingredients you have on hand. (Hunter-Gatherer)

Character Comparison

tighten
革gé + 力lì
leather + muscle
Character Notes

Picture tightening the leather reins with your muscles.

Character Comparison

solid
囗 + 古gǔ
enclose + ancient
Character Notes

a solid ancient wall

Character Comparison

yǐn
*dental hook
fishing modified
Character Notes
Character Comparison
𠃌 gǔn coat hook

gǎn
hurry [v.]
走 + 干gān
walk + dry/clothesline
Character Notes

walking in a hurry because it is about to rain and your clothes are on the line

Character Comparison
Series

wán
stubborn
元yuán + 页
Adam&Eve + head
Character Notes

With this choice of life comes children. And, Adam and Eve's first child, Cain, is a stubborn one--a real blockhead. (Bible Series)

Character Comparison

jiū
research [v.]
穴 + 九jiǔ
hole + nine
Character Notes

There's a hole in the research: why do the results only come back nine out of ten times?

Character Comparison

xíng
punishment
开 + 刂
open hands + sword
Character Notes

open your hands for your punishment, slapped with a sword

Character Comparison
Series
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