Term
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Definition
ear
shaped like a human's ear |
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Term
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Definition
face;
flour or noodles
shape of a face with an eye and a nose |
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Term
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Definition
(once) again
right handed
when part of a other character, it means hand |
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Term
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Definition
take
ear (er) + hand/again (you)
take an enemy's ear by hand |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
most
say (yue) + take (qu)
most people say what they hear time and time again |
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Term
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Definition
walk, go
2 feet to walk, to go on foot, or run |
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Term
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Definition
interest
run/walk (zou) + take (qu)
it is in your interest to run with whatever you take in your hands |
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Term
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Definition
close, shut
if 'open' is two hands pushing up a latch, 'guan' is a warrior closing a gate and tying it with a rope |
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Term
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Definition
join, unite
to connect, to ally
ear/connection (er) + close (guan)
the ears the soldier brought back are tied to be connected together;
warriors united by keeping the ears "closed" |
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Term
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Definition
door
Palaces and large houses had doors that came in a set of two, unlike a “single door 户 [hù].” |
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Term
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Definition
hear, smell
door (men) + ear (er)
an ear leaning against the door to hear better; because the door is not airtight, one can also smell what's behind the door |
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Term
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Definition
and, as well as,
but, yet
voice heard through a curtain of his beard and mustache
contrast: but, yet |
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Term
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Definition
endure, able to tolerate, to bear
beard/and (er) + hand/joint (cun)
to endure the pain of one's beard pulled out by hand |
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Term
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Definition
rain
下雨 to rain; 大雨 heavy rain; 暴雨 heavy rain/storm; 雨天 rainy day;
雨季 rainy season; 雨伞 umbrella (lit. rain shield)
风雨无阻 Regardless of wind or rain (persistence)
Combination of raindrops (丶) falling(symbol) from the sky (一) – meaning rain. |
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Term
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Definition
need
rain (yu) + beard/and (er)
voice of the leader wishing for rain heard through the beard out of need of water |
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Term
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Definition
hair
soft hair on a plant or a person |
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Term
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Definition
must, have to
hair/decoration (shan) + head/page (ye)
decorations on pages of manuscript was a MUST;
men were expected to grow hair on their faces like mustaches |
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Term
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Definition
color
pick (cai) + decorate/hair (shan)
to pick the leaves and create colors to dye material for decoration |
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Term
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Definition
sunlight; view scene(ry), sunshine
sun + capital
a sunlight over a capital is a grand scenery |
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Term
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Definition
shadow, photo, movie
sunshine (jing) + decorate/hair (shan)
when the sun shines, buildings cast shadows;
shadows are also used in photos and movies |
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Term
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Definition
private; snout
a slightly opened chest where one keeps private stuffs |
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Term
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Definition
big, large, huge, great
a person with all limbs spread out showing how big he is |
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Term
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Definition
participate, take part in
accessory (si) + person/big (da) + decorate/hair (shan)
when taking part in a party, a noble lady decorates here hair with an accessory |
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Term
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Definition
yield, produce, give birth
a man standing on top of a cliff signifies a hero who has survived many trials; a mother who gave birth always wishes that her child will become such a person |
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Term
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Definition
accomplished,
man of virtue and ability
give birth/produce (chan) + hair/decoration (shan)
an accomplished man deserves to bear a beard since he produces the most decorative fur |
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Term
颜, 脸, 面, 向
yan, lian, mian, xiang |
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Definition
face
facial appearance / physical face / (sur)face / direction
a beard grows on the face
virtuous men grew long beards on their face |
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Term
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Definition
head
a person's face with hair on top to mean a head
a robot-head with a nose between antennas an eye |
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Term
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Definition
go
combination of crossroad and foot, meaning 'a road describing a distance' or ' to go' |
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Term
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Definition
road, path, way
head (shou) + go (chuo)
the direction the head, the leaders goes is the way; this ch. also means morals and a quantifier for long items |
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Term
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Definition
inch, unit of length
joint
hand |
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Term
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Definition
guide, lead
unborn child (si) + hand/joint (cun)
leading a young child by the hand |
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Term
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Definition
page
a head above a person's legs and face put together to mean 'head'; this character is also used to indicate pages of a book |
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Term
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Definition
to give
给予 – "to give, grant."; 授予 – "to confer (a title)."
Symbolizes two hooks that are interconnected together, or the shape of a flying shuttle (čunak) in traditional looms. As the shuttle moves back and forth to release string, the meaning of ‘to give’ is derived. |
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Term
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Definition
(in) advance
shuttle/give (yu) + head/page (ye)
browsing the pages left and right to figure out in advance what is on the pages |
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Term
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Definition
fire
A simple representation of fire as a shape. |
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Term
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Definition
bother, feel vexed,
to trouble, troublesome
别麻烦 "Don’t bother!"; 心烦意乱 "Distracted and upset" (lit. "heart annoyed, mind chaotic").
anyone with a head on fire would be much in trouble |
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Term
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Definition
order, command
命令 a command or order; 政令 a government order
a man kneeling under the seat of power to receive in order |
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Term
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Definition
neck, collar;
to lead
command (ling) + head/page (ye)
to order that a head with a collar should lead |
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Term
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Definition
adversity (nedaće), distress, disaster
cliff [an] + person (jie)
a person falling off a cliff is facing adversities |
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Term
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Definition
turn around and look;
look back/after
disaster (e) + head/page (ye)
the head (leader) has to look back and look after those who faced disaster |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
pause, (quantifier)
military camp (tun) + head/page (ye)
leader orders his army to pause to eat while his men set the camp; the army also needs (number of) meals |
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Term
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Definition
look toward
die (wang) + moon (yue) + stand on tiptoe/ (ting)
close to die, a king stands on tiptoe and looks toward the moon wishing to be resurrected as a new moon |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
boat, ship, vessel
a small whole in a piece of wood
Imagine 舟 as a simplified side-view of a canoe:
the outer lines are the hull (trup broda), the central space is where passengers sit |
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Term
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Definition
shell,
money, currency
贝壳 Seashell; 宝贝 "Treasure" (also a term of endearment for children/loved ones)
The body () of shellfish is sticking out from its shell (冂). Purple-colored shellfish (贝) back in Yin (殷) and Jiu(周) Dynasties were used as currency |
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Term
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Definition
ordinary, all, every, whatever
凡人 ordinary person; 非凡 extraordinary (lit. not-ordinary)
凡例 general rules (in prefaces); 凡是 every, all
平凡 plain, unremarkable; 凡是 all that
under a table (几) on puts stuffs (丶) that are ordinary |
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Term
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Definition
win; gain; profit
die/lost (wang) + mouth (kou) + moon/flesh (zhou) + currency/shell (bei) + every/ordinary (fan)
to win money by talking every ordinary month about how not to die
-
亡 (lost): You start by facing a loss.
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口 (mouth): You strategize and communicate.
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月 (effort): You put in physical effort.
-
贝 (money): You achieve profit or gain.
-
凡 (common): Winning becomes ordinary through hard work.
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
9-11 pm
this character takes the shape of an animal's skeleton; when coupled with other characters, it means bone/frame |
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Term
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Definition
knife
in the shape of a meat chopper
the simplified radical form of 刀 when used on the right side of Chinese characters |
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Term
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Definition
carve, cut;
moment, a quarter (of an hour)
bone (hai) + knife (dao)
carved (with a knife) writing on a bone |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
should
word (yan) + bone (hai)
a word within a bone should be payed attention |
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Term
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Definition
child (rarely used alone)
child (zi) + bone (hai)
bones of a child can be felt under the skin because young children are yet to gain much fat and muscle |
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Term
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Definition
cough
别咳了！Stop coughing!
coughing is so hard on the body
that the whole frame shakes |
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Term
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Definition
high, tall
a large palace with a high large entrance |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
do
hands (shou) + high (gao)
a high palace with the need of many servant's hands on boards to help |
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Term
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Definition
bright
high (gao) + person (ren)
a person should be like a lighthouse: shining light brightly |
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Term
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Definition
child / meaningless suffix
a child wrapped in a blanket means 'sons and daughters' |
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Term
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Definition
enjoy
high (gao) + child (zi)
to help ancestor to enjoy life, the descendants build up a high altar for offering |
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Term
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Definition
pellet, pill
a small, rounded, compressed mass of a substance
a "dragon" pill |
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Term
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Definition
who, what
enjoy (xiang) + bow/pellet (wan)
Who enjoys to eat "dragon pills" - a child, of course |
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Term
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Definition
cooked, ripe
who (shu) + fire (huo)
who cooked 9 ripe "dragon pills" |
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Term
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Definition
capital
京剧 Peking opera (a UNESCO cultural heritage)
京都 capital city; 东京 Tokyo (eastern capital);
The top (亠) represents a cover or roof, while the lower part (小) originally symbolized elevation (though it now resembles "small," this is coincidental) |
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Term
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Definition
cool
凉快 pleasantly cool; 心凉 heart turns cold (feeling let down)
凉菜 cold appetizers; 清凉 fresh and cool (often used in advertising!)
a large building with a high ceiling and thick walls is cool like ice |
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Term
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Definition
forgive
word (yan) + large/capital (jing)
words of a high-ranking official living in a large building has the power to forgive/pardon |
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Term
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Definition
to hand over,
to deliver; cross
intersect; pay
head (tou) + crossed legs (symbol)
under a roof, a head of the family - the father - is responsible for delivering important decisions |
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Term
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Definition
tree, timber, wood
branch, root, trunk |
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Term
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Definition
school
tree (mu) + hand over (jiao)
a wooden structure used for exchanging knowledge |
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Term
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Definition
to eat, meal, food
covered with a lid (亼) there is a good (艮) meal kept warm for eating. Used as part of a character, it changes to 饣. |
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Term
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Definition
dumpling
eat (shi) + mix/hand over (jiao)
(with meat and vegetable stuffing)
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
to compare
cart (che) + mix/hand over (jiao)
out of an assortment of cars, they are comparing |
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Term
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Definition
ancient, old
古老 age-old; 古文 ancient texts; 古城 ancient city
a tombstone old cross on an ancient headstone |
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Term
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Definition
to strike
it is always a hand with nunchuck, which prefers to take action by striking |
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Term
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Definition
reason, cause
age-old (gu) + strike (pu)
a reason for an age-old fight over a tombstone |
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Term
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Definition
do
person (ren) + reason/cause (gu)
a person needs a reason to do something |
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Term
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Definition
woman
a woman sitting with here hands on her knees |
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Term
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Definition
(paternal) aunt
woman (nu) + age-old (gu)
an old woman of marriageable age;
father's sister, mother in law |
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Term
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Definition
grass
Simplified form of sprouts or grass (艸) formed by combining 2 sprouts (屮) Used only in combination with other characters and usually placed on top |
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Term
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Definition
bitter; hardship
苦茶 bitter tea; 吃苦 to endure bitterness (a metaphor for resilience)
痛苦 pain/suffering; 辛苦 hard work/toil; 吃苦 to endure hardship
苦难 adversity, hardship; 很苦 very bitter
Old (古) plants (艹) mean medicinal herbs, which are naturally bitter. |
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Term
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Definition
meat; flesh
Represents the shape of tissues (仌) that appear when a meat is cut (冂). |
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Term
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Definition
recklessly
age-old (gu) + meat/flesh (rou)
tombstones are full young flesh buried becuase of living recklessly |
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Term
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Definition
lake
water (shui) + recklessly (hu)
recklessly swimming in old lakes 'buried' a lot of young flesh |
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Term
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Definition
person; man
the side profile of a person, and means 'man' |
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Term
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Definition
restrain; overcome; gram
age-old (gu) + person (ren)
if a somebody wants to overcome death, he should restrain himself from consuming 10 grams of drugs |
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Term
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Definition
odd, strange
a person who can do strange things |
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Term
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Definition
horse
Simplified form of 馬, picture of a horse |
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Term
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Definition
ride (animal or bike)
horse (ma) + strange (qi)
a man rides a horse to see odd and strange places |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
send, mail, post; entrust
house (mian) + strange (qi)
even a strange man can go under the roof of the post office to send a letter (square) |
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Term
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Definition
chair
tree (mu) + strange (qi)
a strange tree with 4 strange branches like legs is a chair |
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Term
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Definition
to manage;
to take charge of;
department
person (ren) + mouth (kou)
from 'can' to manage' one just need to cut a small part (-) to put the accent on the ONE who takes charge of speaking in the name of the department |
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Term
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Definition
back; later, after / queen
person (ren) + mouth (kou)
denotes who is after/back the 'king' |
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Term
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Definition
word, term
word (yan) + take charge of/manage (si)
this word takes charge of a this single term |
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Term
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Definition
can, may; buT, yeT
a mouth that is able (can) to speak of given permission (may) to speak |
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Term
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Definition
elder brother
elder brother, or can-can brother, likes to shout in the house; originally it meant to sing |
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Term
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Definition
song; to sing
sing/elder brother (ge) + yawn (qian)
instead of shouting, can-can brother now yawns and sings like in an opera house |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
whaT; why; how
person (ren) + can (qe)
whaT a person - with a sloping T - can do;
but why a person may do it;
yet how a person can do it; |
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Term
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Definition
river
黄河 (Huáng Hé) – Yellow River (northern China)
运河 Grand Canal (man-made)
a water can move like a river |
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Term
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Definition
hill, mound
the slope of a hill
When used on the left of a character it means ‘hill,’ but when used on the right it means “town 邑 [yì].” |
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Term
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Definition
big hill;
affectionate prefix; flattery
hill/(metaphorical)height (fu) + can/may/approval (ke)
The mound (阝) echoes whatever you say (可)—just like a sycophant who is full of flattery! |
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Term
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Definition
ah
this character is sometimes used at the end of a sentence to indicate surprise or question |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
cry, weep
shout (xuan) + dog (quan)
a dog cries and weeps when left alone |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
eat
mouth (kou) + beg (qi)
the mouth is begging for something to eat |
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Term
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Definition
skillful
an artisan making something with skill or with |
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Term
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Definition
number, name
mouth (kou) + skillful (kao)
it takes much skill to remember one's name or number so you can call him out |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
hear, listen (to)
mouth (kou) + ax (jin)
taking an ax to someone's mouth is a harsh way of saying one must listen carefully |
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Term
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Definition
entangle
the shape of a vine curling itself around and up a tree trunk |
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Term
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Definition
call
mouth (kou) + entangle (jiu)
to call someone is to use mouth to make a sound |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
eight
blessing coming down from the sky |
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Term
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Definition
assemble, gather
hearts always gathered to ask for the blessings of God |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
sharp-witted, acute; quick at hearing
ear (er) + gather/always (zong)
it is always good to be quick at hearing |
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Term
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Definition
good
it is good (dot!) to be tough, firm, stable |
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Term
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Definition
water
a different form of water (水), which is used only in combination with other characters |
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Term
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Definition
wave
water (shui) + good (liang)
waves or ripples have a good effect on water |
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Term
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Definition
dog-like animal
Used only in combination with other characters to replace dog “犬” or to symbolize a small dog-sized animal. |
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Term
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Definition
wolf
wolves like dogs possess a good sense of what to do |
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Term
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Definition
young lady
woman (nu) + good (liang)
good time in a woman's life is as young lady; it is honorific character when addressing older lady like mother |
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Term
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Definition
straightforward, blunt, tough, stubborn
艮节 unyielding integrity (archaic)
an eye with a little stroke at the bottom that represents stopping and looking back |
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Term
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Definition
walk;
step (with left foot) |
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Term
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Definition
very, quite
walk (chi) + look back/straightforward (gen)
one needs to walk very slowly while looking behind |
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Term
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Definition
root
a tree gets its firmness, stability and immovability from a root is firmly attached |
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Term
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Definition
heel; follow; and
foot (zu) + look back/straightforward (gen)
look back at your heels, which are the last part of the foot to move, always following, because it is connected with the rest of foot |
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Term
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Definition
silver
银饰 silver jewelry; 银矿 silver mine
silver is a tougher - and more prized - metal than gold
as a metal, silver represents stability and lasting value |
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Term
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Definition
foot, leg; to be sufficient
a foot with an ankle; (it refers also to shin and calf) |
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Term
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Definition
metal
钅 looks like a tiny hooked ingot (金’s essence) — it turns characters into metal words |
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Term
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Definition
retreat, step back
look back/straightforward (gen) + go (chuo)
retreating back till the stopping post;
compared to 却, it lacks the 'but' nuance |
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Term
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Definition
leg
meat (rou) + retreat (tui)
flesh is here to specify that the 'retreating' element relates to the body - hence legs |
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Term
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Definition
see
a man with an open eye looking through periscope |
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Term
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Definition
sleep; (become) aware
to be aware how the eyelids are making seeing difficult and sleeping easy |
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Term
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Definition
to observe
hand/again (you) + see (jian)
using hands to touch and eyes to see to better observe an object |
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Term
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Definition
to show, to demonstrate
to display, to reveal
the altar (丅) with offerings, dripping down (小), for the ONE (—) demonstrates and shows (示 / 礻) how ancient people wanted to reveal divine will through rituals |
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Term
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Definition
look at
show/altar (shi) + see (jian)
look at what the altar shows and you will see the THE ONE |
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Term
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Definition
jade
A few jade marbles are made into a bundle by passing threads (丶) into the center hole. |
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Term
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Definition
appear, show; current, present
现状 current situation; 体现 to embody
现货 spot goods (paid/delivered immediately); 现金 cash
现象 phenomenon (lit. appearing image);
When holding the jade (玉) object under the sun to see (见) the purity, the sun’s reflection causes many colors to appear on the jade. Because the brightness of the sun changes the reflection on the jade (玉) when it’s held up against the sun to be checked (见), it also became to mean ‘the present.’ |
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Term
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Definition
to supervise, to inspect
to monitor
minister/bulging eye (chen) + person (ren) + water [symbol] + vessel (min)
an official under the watchful eye of the minister is staring at the water bowl, supervising its filling and inspecting its surface, all that for monitoring if the minister's orders are reflected clearly |
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Term
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Definition
view, look at
to browse/peruse
supervisor (jian) + see (jian)
a minister-supervisor is interested just in perusing (to read in a thorough or careful way) the documents to get the understanding; he is not in job of a quality-control (皿 is missing!) |
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Term
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Definition
straight
the eye of a lying sniper uses a gunpoint to shoot straight |
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Term
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Definition
plant
tree (mu) + straight (whi)
planting trees straight upright so they grow well |
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Term
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Definition
value
person (ren) + straight (zhi)
A truly valuable person is one with a straight backbone |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
true
straight (zhi) + pedestal (ji)
it is true that a bipod helps a sniper to shoot straight |
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Term
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Definition
eye
the shape of an eye with a pupil |
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Term
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Definition
see
to put a hand above an eye to see something closely |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
touch / postposition,...ing
sheep have bad eyesight, stand so close they touch each other |
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Term
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Definition
mutually, each other, appearance
tree (mu) + eye (mu)
man standing in front of a tree, facing each other, to see if it's appearance suggests that is good to cut down for timber |
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Term
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Definition
think
each other (xiang) + heart (xin)
people in love think of each other and miss them in their hearts |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
risk; emit
hood (mao) + eye (mu)
the eyes of a soldier emitting fear and wearing a hood because of the risk |
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Term
|
Definition
towel
A towel is a square piece of fabric used to wipe hands |
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Term
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Definition
hat, cap
towel (jin) + emit/risk (mao)
with added fabric (towel) the hood above the eye becomes a hat |
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Term
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Definition
eye, look
eye (mu) + look back/straightforward (gen)
an eye (with a different pronunciation) for a firm focused, fixed gaze |
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Term
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Definition
blue-green, azure;
youth, young
young green plant (生) under "blue moon" (冃) are the colors of nature |
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Term
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Definition
eyeball
eye (mu) + blue/green (qing)
when the water is clear and deep it looks green and when one's eyes are that clear, one can see the pupils |
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Term
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Definition
hang down
a tree with branches and leaves hanging far enough to reach the ground |
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Term
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Definition
sleep
eye (mu) + hang down (chui)
eyelids of eyes are hanging down and closed while asleep |
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Term
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Definition
tongue
a shape of a tongue sticking out of a mouth |
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Term
|
Definition
shave; blow
scratch, scrape;
tongue (she) + knife (dao)
the knife will cut the tongue if one is shaving while the wind is blowing |
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Term
|
Definition
talk
word (yan) + tongue (she)
words comes from a tongue while talking |
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Term
|
Definition
live; work
water (shui) + tongue (she)
a tongue moist with water means one is alive and able to work |
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Term
|
Definition
suitable
go (chuo) + tongue (she)
everybody goes and follows a tongue, which language is suitable to their world view |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
|
Definition
disorder, chaos, confused
tongue (she) + hunched stance/hide (yi)
when caught up in chaos, tongue becomes barbered like a fishhook, it becomes confused, starts biting and creates disorder |
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Term
|
Definition
sweet
holding a sweet thing in one's smiling mouth |
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Term
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Definition
sweet
tongue (she) + sweet (gan)
a tongue can feel the taste of sweetness |
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Term
|
Definition
to owe, to lack; yawn
a person is opening his mouth wide to yawn when he lacks energy owing to not enough sleeping |
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Term
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Definition
blow
mouth (kou) + yawn (qian)
to blow 'smoke circles' by opening a mouth as yawning |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
|
Definition
next; secondary
ice (bing) + owe/lack (qian)
ice is lacking fluidity (the 3rd stroke); that's why its water's next (2ndary) state |
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Term
|
Definition
joyous, happy; joyful
hand/again (you) + yawn (qian)
a joyous welcome with hands wide open and mouth open as yawning |
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Term
|
Definition
speech; (broader) words
a mouth articulates a speech with a lot of 'high' blah-blah words |
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Term
|
Definition
trust, believe; letter
in person's words we trust, but we believe them religiously when they are written down in a letter |
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Term
|
Definition
to count
word (yan) + ten (shi)
to count up to ten with words and fingers |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
让 / rang
请让一让
qing rang yi rang
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Definition
let, allow, give way
please, make way
a word of concession regarding to hierarchy or positioning |
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Term
|
Definition
logical sequence
in modern Chinese it is never used alone
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Term
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Definition
argue, discuss; theory; logic;
when one argues he uses words of logic as a dagger which cuts the other's arguments |
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Term
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Definition
loud
a mouth from the sky as the loudest one |
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Term
|
Definition
mistake
word (yan) + loud (wu)
it is a huge mistake to speak out loud against the sky |
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Term
|
Definition
sound
a sound of a Japanese radio |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
|
Definition
chapter; badge
stand (li) + morning (zao)
a chapter is standalone piece of writing that starts a new section; to make it more visible, a badge is added |
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Term
|
Definition
meaning
sound (yin) + heart (xin)
the meaning of the Japanese sounds one can only understand with his heart |
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Term
|
Definition
unexpectedly
actually, eventually
Japanese radio/sound (yin) + person (ren)
actually, it is not a surprise when a person jumps after hearing unexpectedly a sound from a Japanese radio and eventually feeling releaf |
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Term
|
Definition
earth, dust, soil
Signifies a mound of earth or soil. Also came from the model of male penis made from earth. |
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Term
|
Definition
territory
border, boundary
soil (tu) + actually/eventually (jing)
unexpectedly , the sounds from the Japanese radio covers the whole home-soil till its boundaries with other territories |
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Term
|
Definition
mirror
metal (jin) + actually/unexpectedly/eventually (jing)
actually, a polished metal could unexpectedly become a mirror |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
|
Definition
king
compared to a scholar, king's ax is mightier
Three Horizontals (三) represent Heaven, Humanity, and Earth; with the vertical stroke (I) the king unites all three realms as a mediator. |
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Term
|
Definition
country, state, nation
enclose [wei] + king (wang) + people [symbol]
a boundary, a king and his jade-precious people are three components of a country |
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Term
|
Definition
bottle up;
pin down, imprison
a tree or person within a frame |
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Term
|
Definition
four, 4
enclose (wei) + person (ren)
a person surrounded from all four directions |
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Term
|
Definition
circle; time
in the Arena one goes in circles many times before the end of the race |
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Term
|
Definition
stingy
double+ soil + [symbol 'plus'] + storage (symbol)
a stingy person puts money in a vault inside a vault buried under double layer of soil |
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Term
|
Definition
wall
soil (tu) + stingy (se)
walls of soil are build by stingy people |
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Term
|
Definition
tooth
a molar is a tooth that grows in the corners of the mouth |
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Term
|
Definition
hole, cave,
acupuncture point
roof/dwelling (mian) + split open (ba)
Imagine a tiny house (宀) built on a mountain.
Below the roof, there's a split (八) in the ground—an entrance to a secret cave. |
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Term
|
Definition
penetrate, pass through
wear (clothes)
cave (xue) + tooth (ya)
a molar penetrates gums creating a kind of a cave; one also wears clothes by "penetrating" through sleeves and trouser legs |
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Term
|
Definition
ah, oh
that's the sound one makes when one's mouth is open wide enough to see the molars;
to convey emotions, soften tone, or make sentences more conversational |
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Term
|
Definition
self; from, since
point toward the nose, since it's a place from where the SELF comes |
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Term
|
Definition
we; us
mouth (kou) + self (zi)
the colloquial plural form of myself is us, with an added mouth |
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Term
|
Definition
breath, rest; news
nose/self (zi) + heart (xin)
breath which comes through the nose helps heart to rest;
a nose tries to find news with a passion of a heart |
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Term
|
Definition
give; confer
field (tian) + base/foundation (ji)
to give a "package" of field by placing it on a stand;
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Term
|
Definition
nose
self (zi) + give/confer (bi)
a nose is high in the sky when one's self is conferred with titles, degrees, benefits, and rights |
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Term
|
Definition
body
a side profile of a body with a stomach and leg walking |
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Term
|
Definition
reverence; still,
to esteem, to value
still, yet
speaking (口) highly (⺌) towards (向) something one esteems or values highly (⺌) (or enclosing something valuable) |
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Term
|
Definition
to recline, lie down
fat bodies have a high esteem for a comfortable couch because they value the chance to recline or lie down |
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Term
|
Definition
shoot
pregnant woman/body (shen) + hand/joint (cun)
the hand draws the bow back making a curve similar to the curve of the fat archer, ready for shooting |
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Term
|
Definition
to thank/decline
word (yan) + shoot (she)
a words of gratitude or of excusing oneself should be readily and accurately "shoot" like arrows at a target |
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Term
|
Definition
fontanel; top of head; skull
囟门 the formal word for "fontanelle" (often used instead of 囟 alone)
a square (囗) with an "X" (乂) inside (marking the soft spot), mimicking the crossed sutures of a baby’s skull |
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Term
|
Definition
think
head/fontanel (xin) + heart (xin)
when the head works alongside the heart - one thinks |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
|
Definition
must; necessarily; certainly
heart (xin) + line (pie)
the heart must certainly beat, but not necessarily for love |
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Term
|
Definition
heart
alternative character; it takes this shape when used as a RADICAL placed on the left of a character |
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Term
|
Definition
be born; give birth
to grow; raw
a fruit from a sprout grown from the soil is eaten raw |
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Term
|
Definition
nature; sex
性别 gender; 男性 male; 女性 female; 性行为 sexual behavior
性格 personality; 同性恋 homosexuality
性情 temperament; 本性 inherent nature
Something that comes out of (生) one’s heart (忄) is that person’s nature. |
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Term
|
Definition
open; release
hand (ji) + arrow (shi)
a hand holding a weapon, symbolizing decisiveness to decide or cut through a problem; its meaning evolved to represent breakthrough or resolution |
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Term
|
Definition
fast, quick;
happy, pleased
heart(xin) + decisive/resolute (guai)
by resolutely pointing a gun toward other's heart everything is solved fast & quickly, which pleased the gun-owner and made everyone happy |
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Term
|
Definition
long; extended; beautiful
sun (yue) + net () + hand/again (you)
beautiful days extended like a net again and again for a long time |
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Term
|
Definition
slow(ly), sluggish (trom)
heart(xin) + long/extended (man)
a heart with long pauses between the beats is slow and sluggish |
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Term
|
Definition
bone; skeleton
bones with meat are still bones;
'gua' means bones without the surrounding meat |
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Term
|
Definition
slippery
water/liquid (shui) + bone (gu)
a liquid on the bone reflects smoothness - but things could easily become slippery |
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Term
|
Definition
body; form
字体 font, typeface; 体制 system, structure
person's foundation is his body |
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Term
|
Definition
bad, wicked
a corpse with broken bone; it is derived from 死 (death);
interesting, but it's an evening moon with a minus (-) sign above = "bad moon" on the rise... |
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Term
|
Definition
die
broken bone/bad (dai) + dagger/ladle (bi)
an old man with broken bones will surely die;
a bad dagger means somebody will die |
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Term
|
Definition
to arrange, to line up, a row
dead/bad (dai) + knife (dao)
a dead animal should be cut with a knife and the parts should be arranged in a row |
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Term
|
Definition
example, precedent
case, instance
person (ren) + arrange (lie)
a senior gives an example of how to arrange knives in a bad way |
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Term
|
Definition
palm of hand
what one values or highly esteems, one holds it on a palm of his hands |
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Term
|
Definition
combine, join, fit
The character 合 reflects the importance of harmony and unity in Chinese culture. Its etymology highlights the connection between physical joining (亼 and 口) and abstract concepts like agreement and cooperation.
Today, 合 is widely used in contexts related to combining, agreeing, and fitting |
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Term
|
Definition
to hold, to take
join/fit (he) + hand (shou)
a hand should hold only what fits in it
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Term
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Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
strike, hit, beat; fight
hand (shou) + nail/man (ding)
strike a nail with a hand |
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Term
|
Definition
white
a white small spot in the sun |
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Term
|
Definition
clap, beat
take a photo
hand (shou) + white (bai)
a the beginning of a scene one just see hands clapping white clapperboard/slate |
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Term
|
Definition
to push
mother bird pushes her young with a wing to see if it is ready to leave the nest; or a hand pushes the birds |
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Term
|
Definition
pick up
hand (shou) + join/close (he)
someone uses his hands to pick up and collect stuffs which he will combine to make a souvenir |
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Term
|
Definition
dawn; daybreak
Dawn arrives as the sun (日) rises just above the horizon (一). |
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Term
|
Definition
carry, shoulder
hand (shou) + dawn (dan)
burden-bearing ones from the very dawn use their hands to carry and shoulder the daily burden |
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Term
|
Definition
| hand holding a broom or a tool for sweeping |
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Term
|
Definition
to sweep, clean
hand (shou) + hand (ji)
both hands are needed for sweeping and cleaning |
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Term
|
Definition
talent, ability
only if, not until
a flying cross shows exceptional abilities and talents |
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Term
|
Definition
scholar; warrior
a person standing upright and holding a weapon or a tool;
one who can count from one (-) to ten (+) is a scholar |
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Term
|
Definition
exist
ability/talent (cai) + ax/scholar (shi)
IN the mythologies, AT the beginning, only one talented person existed ON the whole earth |
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Term
|
Definition
material
tree (mu) + ability (cai)
a tree has the ability to be transformed into a material like timber |
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Term
|
Definition
round, circular
enclose (wei) + ability (cai)
it takes talent to see something round in a square shape |
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Term
|
Definition
claw
nail
a hand with long fingernails like claws |
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Term
|
Definition
ThereFore
claw/hand (zhao) + friend () + hand/again (you)
my hand is holding its claw; therefore, we are friends |
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Term
|
Definition
warm
sun (ri) + pull/therefore (yuan)
it's sunny - therefore, it's warm
grab the sun and pull it closer to feel warm |
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Term
|
Definition
to hope/long for
a snake opening its mouth wide in hope for food |
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Term
|
Definition
creep, crawl, climb
claw/hand/nail (zhao) + child/snake (ba)
some animals are creeping on their claw, while a snake is crawling and climbing with their body |
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Term
|
Definition
to pick, to collect
采茶 to pick tea leaves; 采花 to pick flowers;
采访 to interview (lit. gather opinions);
采纳 to accept (advice); 采用 to adopt / use (a method)
to pick a tree's young shoots or fruit by hand |
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Term
|
Definition
vegetables, greens
蔬菜 vegetables; 菜单 menu; 中国菜 Chinese cuisine
Vegetables are plants (艹) that are picked by hand (采), which is true because most edible vegetation can be picked by hand. |
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Term
|
Definition
melon
a fruit hanging on the "hands" of a tree
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Term
|
Definition
seal; person
a person kneeling
a person crouching in a deep bow |
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Term
|
Definition
announce;
report, newspaper
hand (you) + kneel/person/seal (jie) + hand/again (you)
a hand is holding a sealed document handing it over as a report regarding the public announcement of starting a new subordinate newspaper |
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Term
|
Definition
serve; clothes
flesh (zhou) + kneel+hand=submit
to submit (by kneeling and with hands tied) oneself in flesh means to serve, and the service is often done by wearing a special clothing |
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Term
|
Definition
also, too, likewise
the central shape reminds of a dagger, but also of a person (rapier dagger) |
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Term
|
Definition
change
rapier dagger (yi) + hand/again (you)
quillons protects the hand and can change the outcome of a fight |
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Term
|
Definition
friendly
hand (you) + hand/again (you)
two overlapping hands mean cooperation; a friend offers a hand when one is in need |
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Term
|
Definition
claw
claw/hand variant of 爪 |
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Term
|
Definition
love
a hand reaches for a cover/protection of a friend's love |
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|
Term
|
Definition
send (out); hair
friend (you) + hand (you) + 2 aditional lines ()
a hairy friend sends to a surprise |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Chinese;
Han Dynasty
water (shui) + hand/again (you)
the Han originated from around Hanshui River and established Chinese culture |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(short-tailed) bird
Signifies a small bird which looked at from its side. While “鸟[niǎo]” is used to and signify long-tailed and larger birds, this character is a general term to mean ‘short-tailed and smaller birds.’ |
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|
Term
|
Definition
difficult, hard
hand/again (you) + bird (zhui)
for a bird to use its wings as hands is very difficult and hard |
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|
Term
|
Definition
pair
hand/again (you) + hand/again (you)
to hold a pair of birds in both hands |
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|
Term
|
Definition
borrow (jia)
fake; vacation; borrow
person () + borrow (jia)
a person lends to another guy's hand a fake square from his collection of squares |
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|
Term
|
Definition
old man, elder
torch (symbol) + hand/again (you)
old man searching with a torch in his hands |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
thin; emaciated*
*abnormally thin, especially because of illness or a lack of food
sick (chuang) + old man (sou)
sick old man becomes very thin or emaciated |
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Term
|
Definition
history; record
a hand is holding a pen to record stories for history |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
official, clerk
decoration [symbol] + brush in hand/history (shi)
a hand writing with a decorated pen belongs to a
high-ranking official or clerk |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to make, to cause, to use, to employ,
to send
person (ren) + official (li)
a person makes an official so angry that he to cause him pain by using his pen to stub him in chest |
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Term
|
Definition
more
horizontal stroke (symbol) +
horizontal stroke (symbol) + history (yue)
this is twice (- & -) more official history |
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|
Term
|
Definition
convenient; cheap
person (ren) + more (geng)
people read more the official history because it is more convenient |
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|
Term
|
Definition
contend (boriti se, tvrditi),
to strive; dispute,
fight, struggle
person [ren] + hand [ji] + hook [jue]
a high-person is holding a hooked scepter which another hand is disputing and contending and struggling to take away |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
clean, pure
ice [bing] + contend/fight (zheng)
we should strive and fight for the ice to be pure and clean |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
quiet, calm, still
motionless
blue/green (qing) + contend/dispute (zheng)
the left character (青) is a source of many disputes whether it represents green or blue color, and it should be resolved in a calm and quite manner |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
matter, affair
farming tools [symbol] + hand [ji]
a minor official is trying to resolve the dispute with the other hand over the matter of his missing hand
The Affair of the missing hand |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to reach; and;
in time for
person [ren] + hand/again (you)
a hand extends to reach the back of a person and tries to prevent him to run away again |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
urgent, anxious, hurried, quickly
person [ren] + hand/again (you) + heart (xin)
an anxious man must hold his heart in his hand, demanding an urgent operation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
level, grade, rank
silk/thread [si] + reach/and (ji)
a character made to record which level or grade a bundle of thread had reached (high, low, or average) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
extreme
tree (mu) + reach/and (ji)
to reach the very top of a high tree one must go to the extreme |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
pen; writing brush
a hand holding a brush, like a fountain pen |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
law, regulation
walk [chi] + writing brush/pen (yu)
a walking law is a layer with a pen |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to build, establish, to construct
writing brush/pen (yu) + long walk [yin]
building a long and winding walking road with help of a sketch made by a pen |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
healthy, strong
robust (strong + healthy)
person [ren] + build (jian)
to build a healthy person |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to govern;
a high official
a hand with a pen governs the society with its executive power
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
monarch, ruler
rule (yin) + mouth (kou)
a rule comes from a mouth of a ruler |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
skirt
clothes [yi] + monarch/ruler (jun)
ruling class wears posh clothes specially skirts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
slave; be subordinate to
the ancient character show a hand holding on to an animal tail - illustrating subordination |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
catch, arrest, seize
slave/subordinate (li) + go [chuo]
if you want to have a slave, you have to go and catch him |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
health(y), peaceful well-being
house/broad (guang) + slave/subordinate (li)
inside a house is makes sense to have a slave for the sale of health, harmony, and the overall being |
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|
Term
ナ / 又 / 彐 / 手
you / you / ji |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
work, labor
tool, anvil (nakovanj)
An I-beam in construction (symbolizing industry) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
left
the left parties always offer their hand to the workers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
right
hand [you] + mouth (kou)
the right hand helps the mouth to eat |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to have; exist, be
hand [you] + meat (rou)
a hand holds and have a meat - a proof that it exists
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
elderly man;
ten feet
hand [you] + branches [symbol]
derived from a pictograph representing measurement with a hand and a ruler-like mark; respectful term for Elderly Men who walk in a respectful measured way |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
village
tree (mu) + hand/joint [cun]
a village hand-built from the trees |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
get; gain, obtain
<structural particle>
walk/step [chi] + dawn/day + hand/joint [cun]
step-by-step at dawn the hand gets what it must be left by the others on the street |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
correct;
to face/oppose; couple, pair
hand/again [you] + hand/joint [cun]
are two hands better than one? Yes, that's correct! Even when a couple sometimes oppose each other |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(specific) tree; to plant
tree (mu) + hand/again [you] + hand/joint [cun]
one is planting a tree with 2 hands |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(jade) tablet; Kei
two 土 (meaning "earth" or "soil") characters stacked vertically. This structure symbolizes something precious (like jade) emerging from the earth; this is a decoration of sorts that the king's subjects held whenever in his presence |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to seal/confer
tablet (gui) + hand/joint [cun]
king's hand seals a tablet with a scepter
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
6th / 9-11 a.m.
unborn child; upside down '6'
zodiac; time keeping; classical texts; |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to pass (through)
hand/joint [cun] + go [chuo]
to wave a hand while passing on the road |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to discuss; to demand/ask for
word [yan] + hand/joint [cun]
words with measure for discussing, and supported with hands while demanding |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to pay; to
hand over;
to entrust/assign
house/broad (guang) + hand/joint [cun]
a person is handing money to pay for the hand-job |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
wide, broad
house on a cliff, symbolizing a sheltered space. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
government;
prefecture; official mansion
政府 government; 府邸 official residence, mansion;
大使府 embassy (lit. ambassador’s office)
a big building under which officials assign tasks and hand over documents and fees belongs to government |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to rot/decay; corrupt
腐烂 to rot, to decay; 腐败 corruption (like in politics);
the government is the center of power, and when meat is offered as a bribe, it is a sign of decay and corruption |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to attach/append
to rely on (subsidiary)
to be near
hill/mound [fu] + hand over/pay (fu)
"Boss on the hill" likes to be handed over a bribe when he is near his subordinates, who know that they have to attach some cash in the letter of request |
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Term
|
Definition
temple,
Buddhist monastery
a joint effort of hands on a sacred soil build a temple |
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Term
|
Definition
to hold, grasp;
maintain, uphold
hand (shou) + temple (si)
one's hand should hold nothing while entering a temple;
to hold a sacred soil in a hand |
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Term
|
Definition
cow, ox, bovine
bull's head with horns
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Term
|
Definition
special, unique
a bull is offered to a temple for a special sacrificial ritual |
|
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
rank, level, grade;
wait; etc
bamboo (zhu) + temple (si)
in temples Buddhist teachings were written on slices of bamboo, ranked according their importance; one waits in line, like stacked bamboo |
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Term
|
Definition
time; season
sun (ri) + hand/joint (cun)
the length of the shadow on a sun dial/hand was measured by a finger joint to tell the time |
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Term
|
Definition
two hands
to hold up with two hands |
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Term
|
Definition
open
latch/bar [symbol] + two hands [gong]
using two hands to push up a latch and open the gate |
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Term
|
Definition
compute, calculate
bamboo (zhu) + eye (mu) + two hands [gong]
using both hands to flick bamboo abacus beads to calculate |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
together, common
grass/interconnectedness [卄] + eight/divide [ba]
the grasslands are divided according to the growing plants and shared together as a common good |
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Term
|
Definition
to rise, prosper, flourish;
become popular
two hands + lever [⺍] + foundation/base (一) + two hands [八]
hands up (with lever) and down are rising a base to prosper and flourish |
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Term
|
Definition
to lift/raise; hold up
prosper/flourish(xing) + silhouette hand (shou)
to prosper one needs a subtle hand to lift you |
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Term
|
Definition
it(s), his, her
the shape of a winnowing basket to sort grain (IT) is leaning against a stand |
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Term
|
Definition
base, foundation
winnowing basket/it/grain (qi) + soil (tu)
grains comes from the soil - the foundation
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Term
|
Definition
period, phase
winnowing basket/it/grain (qi) + moon (yue)
certain grains for certain periods according to the moon |
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Term
|
Definition
flag, banner
square [yan] + person + it/his/grain (qi)
a person with his squared flag |
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Term
|
Definition
to send/see off
close (guan) + go [chuo]
a warrior goes wherever he is sent off to fight |
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Term
|
Definition
wrap
to wrap in one's arms |
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Term
|
Definition
spoon, ladle
a small ladle used to serve wine from a jar |
|
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Term
|
Definition
bull's-eye/
<structural particle>
round ripples shaped like a shooting target form when a ladle is used; most targes are drawn on white |
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Term
|
Definition
sentence, phrase
wrap (bao) + mouth (kou)
many words wrapped together in a sentence |
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Term
|
Definition
dog
dog (quan) + sentence (ju)
a faithful dog keeps barking at strangers |
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Term
|
Definition
pack(age), wrap
wrap (bao) + unborn child (si)
to wrap a baby with cloth
a shape of a pregnant woman hugging her unborn child |
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Term
|
Definition
full, satisfied
eat (shi) + wrap (bao)
to be 'full' means you eat so much that you look like a woman who has a child inside |
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Term
|
Definition
to embrace/hug,
to carry in arms;
to cherish
hand (shou) + wrap (bao)
the hands wraps around a small "mout" to hug it and to carry it in his arms |
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Term
|
Definition
to run (away)
to flee
foot (zu) + wrap/package (bao)
feet use the pent-up energy to run and flee with a wrapped baby in his hands |
|
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Term
|
Definition
why (equivalent to modern 何)
how, when, what
say (yue) + pray/beggar (old variant) (gai)
a person "trapped" in confusion from all 4 sides is begging the sun-god for explanations: Why it happened, and When it happened, and How it happened, and What should be done next; |
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Term
|
Definition
thirsty
water (shui) + why (he)
how to get water? because one is thirsty |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to drink; to shout
mouth (kou) + why/how/when/what (he)
a mouth shouts under the sun when it wants to drink |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
do not / must not
classical; using a knife to draw blood is never ideal - so it cam to mean 'do not' |
|
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Term
|
Definition
suddenly;
to neglect
do not (wu) + heart (xin)
the heart do not suddenly beat after realizing that a swift knife has been neglected
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|
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Term
|
Definition
matter, object, thing
a cow must not be treated as a pure thing |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(ex)change; easy
sun (ri) + do/must not (wu)
the sun do not change its size, although when it is low on the horizon it appears larger thanks to the atmospheric refraction |
|
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Term
|
Definition
kick
foot (zu) + change (yi)
Thierry liked to change a foot with which he kicks the ball to confuse his opponents
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|
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Term
|
Definition
square, direction;
one side; party
a plow has a shape of a square, and it moves always in the same direction while it pushes the soil to one side, and one-sidedness is a hallmark of parties |
|
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Term
|
Definition
to free, to let go, to release
direction/square (fang) + strike (pu)
one firefighter strikes the safety fuse on the top of the square fire extinguisher to release the foam in a direction, while the other strikes a square hydrant to free the water |
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Term
|
Definition
(one)self
a mirror 5 for a self |
|
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Term
|
Definition
to change/alter/ correct/modify
self (ji) + strike (pu)
if one strikes his self to correct and modify himself, he will be able to change himself and alter the world around himself for the better |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
filial piety; obedience
a child is carrying an old man showing obedience |
|
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Term
|
Definition
to teach(ing); education, religion
filial piety/obedient (xiao) + strike (pu)
if one teaches his child with discipline, the child will be obedient; religion needs even bigger discipline |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
to disperse/scatter
loosen, leisurely
twenty [土土] + moon (rou) + strike (pu)
on the Moon an astronaut, while striking the moon soil, can loosen the grip and leisurely disperse and scatter it because the Moon's gravity works in his favor |
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|
Term
|
Definition
to gather; collect; harvest
entangle (jiu) + strike (pu)
a hand with a scythe strikes to harvests the wheat to collect and entangle it |
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Term
|
Definition
straight (up)right; correct, proper
a foot is aligned with another foot, in a proper and correct way; a concept of physical alignment seems so "straight", that it has become an abstract virtue in the Japanese language (where 正 also means "justice") |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
politics; government
right (zheng) + strike (pu)
a correct and proper way to strike (or to do something with force or intention) is a question which the politics of every government has to solve |
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|
Term
|
Definition
to dare, boldness
to block [symbol] + ear (er) + strike (pu)
an elephant ignores the threats by covering his ears to be able to dare to face the strikes of the animal trainer |
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|
Term
|
Definition
small, tiny, trivial,
insignificant
dagger-axe, weapon
two 戈 stacked vertically because of their smallness
dagger-axe or halberd |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to fulfill
to trample/tread
to practice/put in action
foot (zu) + injure/small (jian)
to carry out a mission like an army stomping on the enemy with their feet and harming with spears |
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Term
|
Definition
stop, halt
the foot that stopped its movement waiting |
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Term
|
Definition
step/pace; to walk
foot/stop (zhi) + foot/stop (zhi)
two feet on the move, step by step, walking |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
stand on tiptoe;
hope, to long for
person (ren) + foot/stop (zhi)
a person straining upward on its foot longing for something |
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|
Term
|
Definition
to walk/run/leave
soil () + foot/stop (zhi)
foot likes to walk on the soil |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to rise/stand up
to begin/initiate
run/walk (zou) + body/self (ji)
to walk makes your own self rised in spirit |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to bind, bundle
结束 to conclude (lit. knot + bind); 光束 light beam (metaph. "bound" light)
tree (木) branches are tied (口) and bound together for easier transportation. |
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Term
|
Definition
orderly, neat
complete, whole
完整 complete, intact; 整体 the whole (as in a system or entity)
整天 all day;
to tie in right way wood in bundles and ap the ends so they are easy to carry means to put in order creating a whole unite |
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Term
|
Definition
to be; is, are, am
right, correct; indeed
The sun, right above the horizon IS announcing a new day, indeed |
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Term
|
Definition
raise; to lift;
to promote
hand (shou) + correct (shi)
it is correct for hands to be raised toward the sun for a proper worshipping and a chance to be promoted |
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Term
|
Definition
title, heading
subject, topic
correct/indeed (shi) + head/page (ye)
indeed, the head-page with its heading explains what is the subject or the topic |
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|
Term
|
Definition
stable; fixed
house (mian) + conquer/right (zheng)
every house has right to be a stable home for its dwellers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
walk slowly
inverted foot shape with the legs on the ground
a hand with a huge stick is forced to walk slowly |
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Term
|
Definition
to prepare, get ready;
provide, equip
a farmer walking slowly behind an ox-drawn plow, preparing his field for the next year |
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Term
|
Definition
predict, foretell; divine, divination
depicting cracks in heated turtle shells used for divination |
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Term
|
Definition
place; to dwell/reside;
to handle, to deal with, to get along
walk slowly (zhi) + divination/dowser [bu]
a dowser walks slowly to find an auspicious place suitable for dwelling |
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Term
|
Definition
twig, branch, strip
(a long narrow thing)
foot/walk slowly (zhi) + tree (mu)
feet carefully and slowly stepping on branches and twigs to climb down a tree |
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Term
|
Definition
to return/recover
to repeat/duplicate
foot/walk slowly (zhi) + sun/day (ri) + person [symbol]
a person walks slowly when the sun returns, every day repeating the same sacred steps |
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Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
summer
head (ye) + foot/walk slowly (zhi)
a rainmaker with his mask (same as chief's mask 首, but without the horns) is slowly walking left and right, praying for rain during the summer, hoping that one day he will get the horns and become a new chief 首 |
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Term
|
Definition
each, every
walking slowly and talking slowly with each and every breath of the mouth |
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Term
|
Definition
road, path, route
foot/leg (zu) + each/every (ge)
each step of a foot helps to trample a path |
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|
Term
|
Definition
guest, visitor
house (mian) + each (ge)
every house welcomes each guest or a visitor
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|
|
Term
|
Definition
contrary;
to oppose
mistaken; error
when the evening comes, what was normal foot (夂 and 止) now looks like an error, which opposes the common sense could lead to a mistaken understanding |
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Term
|
Definition
not have; without
a shaman seems to be without legs - just silhouettes of them - while he is dancing frenetically |
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Term
|
Definition
(to) dance
not have (wu) + crossed feet/mistaken (chuan)
in the past everyone was mistaken that a shaman can bring a rain with his dance |
|
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Term
|
Definition
to drop, to fall; to
descend/surrender
hill (fu) + each/every () + imbalance []
the value of the stocks from the "top of the hill" will come down or fall each time there is an imbalance |
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Term
|
Definition
splay; to oppose
footsteps; feet apart
to oppose |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
bean(-shaped)
bean/altar
picture of ancient food container with a lid on the top |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to climb/ascend; to publish/register
two feet/one's back (bo) + altar/bean (dou)
when two feet ascending to an altar to oppose a sacrifice to gods - all newspapers publish it |
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Term
|
Definition
stick; spear
archaic term for ancient weapons
related to action, attack, or movement |
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|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
master
king is nothing without a master holding a lamp with a flame |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to go in a direction toward; past
walk (chi) + master (zhu)
master's lamp points the direction toward one should walk and how to leave the past behind |
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Term
|
Definition
step with the right foot
to take small steps |
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|
Term
|
Definition
OK; to move/travel
to go/walk
taking the shape of a crossroad, where one decides where to go, walk, or move |
|
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Term
|
Definition
street, road
crossroads/go (xing) + jaded tablet (gui)
a crossroad has tablets with the name of the streets |
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Term
|
Definition
force, power, strength
picture of a plow or tendon, implying strength |
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Term
|
Definition
side
a furrow is made when a plow passes and pushes soil to one side |
|
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Term
|
Definition
still, also; to return
not (bu) + road/go (chuo)
if one goes but not reaches the end of the road, it is still not late to return |
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Term
|
Definition
long walk/stride
a long and narrow road to the king's tomb |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
courtyard; yard
house/broad (guang) + royal court (ting)
a yard is a place like a court within a spatious house |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to straighten up;
to stand straight;
very, quite
hand (shou) + royal court (ting)
those who dare to raise their hand in the court and stand straight in the front of the authority are very upright persons |
|
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Term
|
Definition
9th of 10 heavenly trunks
Imagine 壬 as a pole balanced on shoulders, carrying weight—a visual metaphor for duty or pregnancy |
|
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Term
|
Definition
to recognize, to admit; to know
word [yan] + person (ren)
"I admit that I cannot recognize you. I really don't know who are you." |
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Term
|
Definition
individual;
this one, that one <quantifier>
person (ren) + pierce [gun]
a stroke in the middle adds individuality to a person |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(lie) between; interpose; introduce
person (ren) + divide/eight (ba)
a person standing between two realms |
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Term
|
Definition
border, boundary;
limit
let's create 4 fields by interposing 2 boundaries between them, thus limiting the wealth |
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|
Term
|
Definition
enter, come in(to)
only 人 can enter here |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
whole, entire, complete
person/man (ru) + king (wang)
king's men help him to rule over the whole kingdom |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to follow, to obey; from
two men, one following the other from behind |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
a crowd, many
multitude
person (ren) + follow (cong)
the overlapping persons mean a crowd of people |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to travel, trip;
troop, military unit
flutter [y] + two people/follow [cong]
Picture of a person 方 with travel gears on his back ready for a trip (thus avoiding to be recruited in a military unit) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
<preposition>
by means of, with, in order to; to use
人 (collapsed) + 厶 (abbreviated tool)
man needs any kind of tool in order to finish the job |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to resemble, similar
person (ren) + fetus/preposition (yi)
a person uses a strange tool in order to check how similar is he to the other twisted person |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
inside, inner, within
entrance [symbol] + person (ren)
a person enters inside and within himself |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
modal particle;
shout; stutter
mouth trying to force out the inner sounds, first by stammering then by shouting |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
both, two; a few
a couple of
yoke [symbol] + hooked up [symbol]
requires a measure word 个; formal and general in use;
picture of two people 人 sitting in a cart |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
both (of us), two
person (ren) + two/both (liang)
informal, it already includes the measure word;
since it's about people, a counter is needed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
measure word for vehicles
two oxen pulling the same cart |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
full, filled, to fill, satisfied; complete
water (shui) + grass (cao) + two (liang)
two oxens are fully served with water and grass;
imagine water (氵) rising to the brim of a cup (㒼) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
gather, assemble
arch., a container and its lid assembled or kept together
[人 (person)] + [一 (one)] = people gathered as one |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to answer, to reply
bamboo (ji) + join/combine/fit (he)
when in doubt about the deal, join the 'contract' bamboos to get the answer |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(the sound of)
laughter; breath
mouth (kou) + join (he)
every mouth likes to join the laughter |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to give; for, to
for (the benefit of)
to supply/provide
thread [si] + join/combine (he)
silk, carefully wrapped together, given as a gift |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
now, current, modern, today
assemble [ji] + to be broken [symbol]
亼 (lid) "containing" the present; ㇇ (descending stroke) "flow of time" arrested momentarily, leaving just a small stroke like a dot - the 'now' |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to contain
to hold (in the mouth)
broken mouth/now (jin) + mouth (kou)
a mouth (口) holding the present moment "NOW" (今) — words, objects, or feelings kept inside. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to think of, to miss
to read aloud/recite
thought, idea
confused language/now (jin) + heart (xin)
heart (心) & mind grasping the present moment (今), thoughts crystallized and recited now |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cloud; to say
a simplified drawing of wispy thin cloud that could say will it be rain or not |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to meet; meeting, gathering
can/able to (learned skill)
accounting
assemble [ji] + say/cloud (yun)
wispy clouds inspired people's gathering to see who is able to fly above the clouds |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
all, everyone, unanimous
assemble (ji) + many people [symbol]
people gathered all in one place |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
danger, risk
hill (fu) + all/everyone (qian)
all gathered men agree that steep slopes are dangerous |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to check/examine
tree (mu) + all (qian)
all the parts of a tree should be examined and checked by all gathered people before cutting down |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to test, to verify
horse (ma) + all (qian)
all the people are testing the horses by making them run and jump |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
face, cheek;
fig. reputation
他板着脸。"He pulled a long face.";
变脸 to suddenly change expression
丢脸 – to lose face (be humiliated)
给脸 to give someone respect (lit. give face)
the moon always shows to all the very same face |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to exempt, to avoid
bowing person [ren] + window [] + person/legs [ren]
a person is crouching through a window and runs away to avoid the recruitment since he will not be exempt |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
night, evening; late
when the sun (日) "avoids" (免) the sky it is late in the evening |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
crotch (prepone);
boundary, enclosure |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
magnificent,
splendid, brilliant
person [ren] + enclosure [symbol] + big, great [da]
for highly respected persons people build a large magnificent pantheon with splendid big pillars |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to (ex)change;
to swap/trade
hand (shou) + shine/brilliant (huan)
in front of a magnificent pantheon a lot of ordinary hand-to-hand swaps and trades are executed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
danger(ous), precarious
person [ren] + cliff (厂) + disaster (e)
a man on a cliff is can face adversities in a dangerous situation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
color, tint, hue
person [ren, ⺈] + snake (巴)
A person mesmerized by a snake's (巴) changing colors |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
long time
duration of time
person [ren] + person/man [symbol]
to make a straight person (人) bent like an elder (⺈) - that takes long time |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
person
"slanting knife head"
short variant, used on the top; originally depicted a person with a bent posture; it often implies motion/posture, avoidance/escape, or dangershort variant, used on the top |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
you, thou
person [ren] + small (xiao)
small man you are |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
you
person [ren] + you (er)
You - small man! |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
you (formal)
you (ni) + heart (xin)
adding the heart creates a more polite version of you |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
child, son, person
Simplified form of 兒, a child 儿 with head 臼 not fully closed; a child is all legs and no brains |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
fair, just; to permit/grant/allow
private/a private mark (si) + person [ren]
a person gives his private mark of consent, thus permitting the adoption of a child |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
walking slowly
a nobble person is permitted to walk slowly |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(related to) alcohol
a wine vessel with a body, a neck, and lid |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
sour, acidic
a wine jar left too long, slowly turning sour |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
first; precede
(walking) ahead
soil/earth () + additional stroke [] + person [ren]
a cow without a tail is like a child without a brain - that's the first thing to remember |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to wash/cleanse/rinse
water (shui) + early (xian)
always first use water to wash your legs |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to choose/pick/select
first/early (xian) + go (chuo)
FIRST go through all the options before selecting one |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
elder brother
mouth (kou) + person (ren)
a child with a big mouth when discussing family matters is usually the elder brother |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
show
altar
a variant of the character 示 (shì) and is closely tied to spiritual, religious, and ceremonial meanings |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to pray, to wish
altar/show [shi] + elder brother (xiong)
the elder brother shows on the altar how to pray for being happy with whatever one finally decide to wish |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
situation, condition
ice [bing] + elder brother (xiong)
the elder brother looks the ice on the window to assess the situation and the weather condition |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to exchange/cash
eight (ba) + elder brother (xiong) + 2 horns []
a devilish elder brother is all in how to cash in fake checks |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to speak, to say
word [yan] + exchange [dui]
the words which the devilish elder brother likes to say are all about how to cash in |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to shed/take off
to escape/free oneself
meat/moon [rou] + exchange (dui)
under the moon the devilish elder brother is shedding off his flesh to escape the restrictions of his body |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
origin, beginning; first; yuan
元旦 New Year's Day (first dawn);
元素 chemical element (primary component)
人民币元 Chinese yuan; 欧元 Euro
Bible says two youngsters were the origin of all people |
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Definition
complete, whole;
to finish
house [mian] + origin (yuan)
one needs a whole house of yuans to finish the roof of the newly built home |
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courtyard
hill (fu) + complete (wan)
to build a wall to finish a school courtyard for the youngsters |
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garden, park, orchard
enclose [wei] + yuan (yuan)
the origin of mankind, Adam & Eve, were given an enclosed garden called Eden to live in |
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far, away,
distant, remote
yuan (yuan) + go [chuo]
at the beginning young strong legs were able to walk far away to find a remote place for a new home |
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man, husband
one (yi) + person/big (da)
a big person plus a hairpin in his bun symbolizes a grown man |
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sky, heaven
one (yi) + person/big (da)
a person (大) standing under the vast sky (一); the line above is the horizon stretching infinitely |
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Definition
great, extreme(ly)
too; very
person/big (da) + dot (zhu)
a big man + a dot symbolizes something great or extremely big |
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Definition
state, condition;
attitude
great (tai) + heart (xin)
when a heart (心) reacts to something "too (太)" extreme it changes visibly its attitude (态) |
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Definition
(be)cause, reason
enclose [wei] + heart (xin)
a person is boxed a prison because of a good reason |
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kindness, grace, favor
cause (yin) + heart (xin)
a heart will always find a cause for kindness |
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Definition
<exclamation>
questioning, puzzled or acknowledgment
mouth (kou) + favor (en)
questioning and asking why kindness shows surprise or exclamation |
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Definition
head; top;
first, leader
dot (zhu) + dot (zhu) + person/big (da)
two dots on man's top means head |
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Definition
real, true, solid;
fruit
house (mian) + head (tou)
a house filled to the head, the topmost part, with real riches, like fruit |
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Definition
to buy, purchase
net [symbol] + head (tou)
my head is hooked on buying and purchasing |
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Definition
to sell
10 [] + buy (mai)
what one buys, one wants to sell 10 times more expensive |
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Definition
to read, to study
word (yan) + sell (mai)
words are sold as ideas (the shape of 讠), which one can read and study in books |
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Definition
to continue/renew
thread (si) + sell (mai)
to continue to sell threads of silk
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Definition
to decide/determine
be breached,
to burst
ice [bing] + open (guai)
to decide to forcefully open the ice sheet so that the water could burst out |
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Definition
fast, quick;
happy, pleased
heart(xin) + decisive/resolute (guai)
by resolutely pointing a gun toward other's heart everything is solved fast & quickly, which pleased the gun-owner and made everyone happy |
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Definition
piece, chunk, lump
soil (tu) + open (guai)
when earth goes through a forceful opening, that creates a lot of chunks of soil |
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dagger; spoon; person
a small, curved blade that could be used as either a weapon or a utensil. |
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to change/convert
-ify, -ization, -ize
变化 change, transformation; 现代化 modernization
文化 culture (lit. written transformation)
全球化 globalization; 简化 simplification
化学 chemistry; 化工 chemical industry
a prisoner takes time to sharpen a spoon to transform and change it into a knife |
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flower, blossom
to spend (money, time)
花朵 blossom; 开花 to bloom; 花粉 pollen
花钱 to spend money; 花时间 to spend time
花纹 decorative pattern; 花哨 gaudy; 花花公子 playboy;
眼花 dazzled (lit. eyes flowered)
grass changes to flower by spending a lot of time under the sun
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Definition
to rest, to stop;
(take) a break
person [ren] + tree (mu)
a person leaning against a tree taking a break |
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center
to beg, to plead
a man carrying an A-frame in the center of his back
pleading for a job |
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Definition
flower; brave; England
grass [cao] + center (yang)
the center of any plant is the flower, and a white flower with red stripes represents England as the land of braves |
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to reflect/project
to shine
sun [ri] + center (yang)
when the sun is in the center it projects the maximum amount of rays, which mirrors could reflect as additional lighting during a filming in the open |
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Definition
young;
tender, gentle
line (pie) + person/big (da)
a man treats his hairstyle with a tenderness and gentleness when he is young |
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to laugh, to smile
bamboo (zhu) + young/tender (yao)
those who wants to stay young as long as a bamboo remains green should laugh and smile |
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Definition
tall, lofty
young/tender (yao) + eight (ba)
young men like to walk on French stilts, which could be really tall (8 feet), but still lofty |
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bridge
tree (mu) + tall/lofty (qiao)
tall trees help to build lofty bridges |
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to stand
a man standing with two feet firmly on the ground |
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to pull, to drag
hand (shou) + stand (li)
a hand reaches a man, standing with his legs in a live sand, trying to pull him out |
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Definition
<modal / final particle>
to reflect the good mood or attitude of the speaker |
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position, location
seat; rank
person (ren) + stand (li)
the position of where a person is standing in relation to the royal seat shows his rank
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to spit (in contempt)
to reject
this guy really has face of someone who is ready to spit in contempt |
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Definition
time(s) (multiplication)
to double
person (ren) + swell (pou)
in the past persons were asked not to spit so many times |
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city
a walled settlement with an official seal makes a city |
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Definition
department, ministry
part, section
spit/reject (pou) + hill/mound/town []
spitting in a town is regulated by the department of rejecting good manners |
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to combine/merge;
simultaneously;
side by side
simplified form of 並, 2 men 竝 standing side by side
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universal, widespread
general
combine/merge/side by side (bing) + sun (ri)
sun is shinning for two persons standing side by side thus showing that its light is not just widespread but universal |
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Definition
lame (hrom, šepav)
a man with one hook-shaped leg means that he is lame |
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outstanding, especially
lame (wang) + dot (dian)
a limping man with a stress actually stands out one was or the other |
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at once; with regard; as soon as
capital (jing) + outstanding (you)
a capital makes the lame ones especially outstanding as soon as they arrive |
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no(ne), not have
without, nothing
无理由 no reason; 无可奈何 no other choice;
无意识 unconscious
there are no disabled people in heaven |
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choking, suffocating
a lame person rises a hand because he doesn't have air and is suffocating |
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Definition
fragrant grain;
grain container
from a ritual spoon comes the white steam of a fragrant grain |
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already, since
both...and...
have a flavor [ji] + suffocating/chocking [ji]
that dry or uncooked grains can cause chocking when swallowed without enough moisture is an already established fact |
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general; approximate
tree (mu) + already (ji)
wooden grain lever is used to avoid the situation when the left character (木), as we already know, is an approximate sketch of a tree with branches above ground and roots bellow the ground |
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sick/ill(ness), disease
a sickbed (广) for those who have feverish sweat (冫) because of an illness |
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Definition
3rd (in a sequence); letter C (like A, B, C: 甲, 乙, 丙); fire (due to its Five Elements association)
一 (horizontal stroke) Heaven,
人 (center): Humanity,
冂 (enclosure): Earth. |
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Definition
sickness, illness,
disease
sickbed [chuang] + 3th/fire (bing)
in a sickbed sweating because of the fire inside a body points toward a sickness |
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winter
walk slowly on the ice during the winter |
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pain, ache;
to love dearly
头疼 headache; 肚子疼 stomachache; 牙疼 toothache
心疼 literally “heart hurts,” but can mean to feel distressed or care deeply for someone (emotionally painful)
winter sickness often brings a dull ache and a mild painpain, ache;
to love dearly
头疼 headache; 肚子疼 stomachache; 牙疼 toothache
心疼 literally “heart hurts,” but can mean to feel distressed or care deeply for someone (emotionally painful)
winter sickness often brings a dull ache and a mild pain |
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Definition
passage, corridor
a basket/bell with a handle |
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Definition
pain, ache
sick [chuang] + mesh bag (yong)
a bell rings the alarm inside a sick man with an acute pain |
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also; too
when watching a woman's genitals one squints with the other eyes too |
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Definition
earth, ground, land
<structural particle, before a verb or adjective>
soil gives life like woman's genitals to the farmed land |
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Definition
he, him, other
she
person (ren) + female genitals/also (ye)
for a long time this character also meant 'she', but in the XX century the other character was created 她 tom make a clear distinction |
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Definition
she, her; he
woman (nu) + female genitals/also (ye)
the opposite - thanks to the woman character - of 'he' |
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Definition
to relax;
to slacken/loosen
bow (gong) + female genitals/also (ye)
when an anxious archer see woman's genitals he becomes relaxed |
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Definition
evening, night, dusk
picture of a crescent moon |
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Definition
physical submission
A person (⺈) under the moon (夕) kneeling (卩) in submission (夗)
Rarely used in modern Chinese; replaced by 怨 (yuàn), 宛 (wǎn), or 渊 (yuān) |
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as if, resembling
graceful; winding
宛如 just like, as though; 宛若 as if (literary)
宛转 tactful or meandering (e.g., a winding path or euphemistic speech)
at evening a person at home is rolling around safely as if he is comfortably in a womb |
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Definition
stone, rock, mineral
right
石头 stone/rock (common spoken term)
岩石 cliff/rock (geological term)
宝石 gemstone/jewel (lit. treasure stone)
石油 petroleum/oil (lit. stone oil)
under a cliff there is a block of stone |
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Definition
bowl
stone (shi) + winding (wan)
a block of stone with a curved and a hollowed shape used as a bowl |
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Definition
to go, to leave
person (da) + private [symbol]
a focus is on a person moving away - leaving - from a (private) location |
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retreat/step back
but, however,
to decline
go (qu) + knee/person (jie)
a man is leaving bowing down respectfully while he is stepping back - BUT refusing to turn his back and to retreat in a kneeling position |
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Definition
foot, leg
meat/flesh (rou) + go (qu) + kneel/person (jie)
flesh is added because for retreating or kneeling one needs his feet |
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Definition
festival, segment section, part;
to save/economize
joint
bamboo (zhu) + kneel/person (jie)
a bowing person with a long bamboo stick is trying to save his joints/knees during a festival |
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Definition
order, command
assemble (ji) + person (jie)
a man kneeling under the seat of power to receive an order |
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Definition
life; fate, destiny;
an order
order/command (ling) + mouth (kou)
a kneeling person receives a verbal order from the seat of power; the fate of his LIFE depends on will he obey or not |
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Definition
cold; cold-hearted
冷淡 indifferent, cold (attitude); 冷漠 cold and detached
很冷 very cold; 冰冷 ice-cold (literally and emotionally)
寒冷 freezing cold; 冷汗 cold sweat (from fear or shock)
冷静 calm, cool-headed (lit. cold + quiet)
an "icy" order is cold or cold-hearted |
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Definition
zero; 0; fragment
rain (yu) + order/command (ling)
god orders that the raindrops should fall dawn in the shape of zeros |
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to compare; ratio
person/spoon (bi) + person/spoon (bi)
two men standing together, comparing each other's ratio of measures |
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criticize/comment
batch, wholesale
to slap;
hand (shou) + compare (bi)
two persons are comparing the strength of their hands by slapping each other while commenting and criticizing each other's techniques |
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north, northward
person/spoon (bi) + person/spoon (bi)
two back-to-back figures representing 'to flee' or 'to be defeated' and the defeated army would flee toward the cold inhospitable north |
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Definition
to ride; to take advantage of;
multiplication
tree (mu) + person/spoon (bi) + person/spoon (bi)
two people riding on a wooden cart |
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Definition
surplus, remnant / remain, be leftover
ride (cheng) + knife (dao)
to build a ride like a cart one needs a knife to cut off unwanted parts - the leftovers |
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Definition
it, other;
snake, serpent
house (mian) + old person/spoon/ladder (bi)
to avoid directly naming dangerous creatures, 它 (a snake under a roof) became a euphemistic pronoun for "it" for the sake of a taboo avoidance |
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Definition
bad, evil, wicked
a corpse with broken bone; it is derived from 死 (death);
a corpse with broken bone; it is derived from 死 (death);
"Bad Moon" on the rise |
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die
broken bone/bad + old person/spoon/dagger (bi)
an old man with broken bones will surely die;
a bad dagger means somebody will die |
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this, these
此 encodes physical grounding (止 = foot) + pointing (匕) with a ladder, mirroring how humans naturally indicate "this" by stopping and gesturing |
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some, a few/little
this (ci) + two (er)
two of this or, some of this plus a few of these |
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Definition
purpose, aim;
tasty, delicious
person/spoon (bi) + mouth [symbol]
both a spoon and a mouth could deliver something tasty, although they have a different purpose |
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Definition
finger; to point
to direct/indicate
hand (shou) + purpose (zhi)
a hand has a purpose to point with a finger thus directing the attention |
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Definition
can, be able
bear [symbol] + bear's foot [symbol]
a bear standing on his hind legs and holding up his front paws shows that he can do everything when angry |
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Definition
bear
can (neng) + for paws of a bear [symbol]
four paws are added to 'can' to reinforce that it is about a bear |
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Definition
corpse
尸检 autopsy (lit. corpse examination)
this is the sitting position of a corpse in an ancient grave |
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Term
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Definition
lush (bujan), dense
an ax as an pruning tool for cutting plants thus creating vegetative density |
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Definition
to spread out,
to unfold/fold out
corpse (shi) + shroud/clothing [symbol]
a corpse is covered with a shroud that has been unfolded to exhibit its curled shape |
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Definition
Buddhist nun, monk
corpse (shi) + person/spoon (bi)
a corpse buried with a ladder proves that this person was a Buddhist nun |
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Definition
<question particle>
mouth (kou) + nun (ni)
a nun with a mouth wide open questioning what happens; at the end of sentence to mark a question |
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Definition
layer; floor; level
building frame/house/corpse (shi) + cloud (yun)
a cloud has layers, a house has floors, while there are levels of analysis |
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Definition
to arrive, to reach
extreme, utmost
from the sky to the ground a bird arrives with utmost speed |
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Definition
house, room, shelter
roof/corpse (shi) + arrive (zhi)
to arrive under a roof where one can take a big rest - that's a house of repose |
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Definition
to grasp/hold/grip
hand [shou] + house (wu)
man's hand in his own house will always try to grasp the opportunity to overtake the control |
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Definition
to reside, to dwell
to live
house/corpse (shi) + ancient (gu)
corpses used to be buried inside ancient houses where a family would reside generation after generation |
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Definition
to rely on;
according to; basis evidence
hand (shou) + reside (ju)
to build by hand a place where to live is an evidence how one can rely on his own skills |
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Definition
to brush/scrub/swipe
corpse (shi) + towel (jin) + knife (dao)
a corpse is brush and scrub-cleaned with a knife and towel |
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Term
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Definition
ruler, foot (meas.)
Using body 尸 and leg 乚 as a ruler to measure by steps; one Chinese foot is 30,5 centimeters |
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Definition
a situation, a circumstance
an office, bureau;
a game
ruler (chi) + mouth (kou)
an official - a "ruler-man" - verbally describes the rules of the game and the situation in the office as if measuring the facts |
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Definition
slow, late, tardy
ruler (chi) + go (chuo)
measuring a road is a slow process, while those who always takes too measured steps are always late |
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already;
to stop, to cease
A) the mirror S is for self;
B) the vertical line of the already familiar self moves toward its "dark side" (the snake), but it stops on time!
C) the vertical line closes the coiled shape of a snake for the Snake Hour 9-11 a-m.; |
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Definition
to remember,
to record, to note,
word [yan] + self (ji)
the words inside yourself should be record so that it could be remembered |
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Term
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Definition
discipline, century
thread/silk (si) + self (ji)
a self of "silk" could be disciplined but because of its softness it takes a century |
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Definition
second; 2nd
In contracts, 甲方 = Party A, 乙方 = Party B
(like "Party 1" and "Party 2")
the rotate number "2" |
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Definition
art; skill
艺术 art; 艺术家 artist; 工艺 craftsmanship; 技艺 technical skill;
someone looking after a plant (艹) that is growing haphazardly and crooked (乙). Attending to such a plant requires enormous effort and is a skilful art. |
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Definition
a hundred million
person (ren) + hunched stance/2nd (yi)
a person counts till the 2nd-order large number after 10.000 - which is 100.000.000 |
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Term
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Definition
of, 's; to go
an arrow pointing from owner to possession, like Zoro's sign, or the sing of Zoro |
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Term
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Definition
to grasp; to hold/grip
<preposition>
hand (shou) + snake/hope (ba)
a hand gripping a snake's head to hold it tightly |
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Term
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Definition
dumb; <modal particle>
moth (kou) + child/hope (ba)
Softens statements (making them less direct): 走吧, "Let's go."
Seeks agreement: 好吧？"Okay?"
end sentence to stress a command or question |
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Term
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Definition
to cut off; to disappear
absolutely; extremely
thread/silk (si) + color (ren) [ person + snake]
a man holding a snake and using its fangs to cut off - this is an extremely dangerous and for that reason an extinct custom |
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Term
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Definition
<suffix>
a chest got an additional stroke on the "covered" side, so it cannot see what is inside a chest, which means that one must pose a question, like:
什么 (shénme) → "what"; 怎么 (zěnme) → "how"
多么 (duōme) → "how (much/great)" |
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Term
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Definition
public, common;
fair, just
honorable (designation)
divide [symbol] + private (si)
to divide what is private in a fair and just manner for public benefit is a gesture of an honorable person |
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Definition
to support/sustain
branch, division
BB holds a special wide cross with his hand to support only one - but fundamental - branch of Christianity |
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Term
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Definition
skill, ability
hand (shou) + support/branch (zhi)
Mister Handy supports Christianity with his skill by making all kind of crosses |
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Term
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Definition
drum; to beat
percussion instrument (zhu) + branch/support (zhi)
a warrior-percussionist is supporting his army by beating on a war-drum |
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Term
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Definition
to begin, to start
beginning, the origin
woman (nu) + platform (tai)
a woman on a platform is starting to open up her "privates" - a beginning of a new life |
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Term
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Definition
to lose/throw away
line [pie] + go/leave (qu)
how an additional "line" can "leave" us? When we somehow lose it, or when we deliberately throw it away |
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Term
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Definition
law, method, way
water [shui] + go/leave (qu)
a water moves away by following the law of the least resistance; 法治 "rule of law" |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
to stop, to cease
to dismiss, to quit
net [wang] + go/leave (qu)
one would like to go anywhere but a net stops him whenever he tries to leave until he gives up |
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Term
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Definition
to arrange; exhibit
to swing (pendulum)
hand (shou) + caught in the net/finish (ba)
a hand can do several things with what is stopped and caught in a net: to arrange and exhibit, even to swing it back and forth |
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Term
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Definition
to learn, to study
under a roof of an enlightened school children are learning and studying |
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Term
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Definition
character; word
house [mian] + child (zi)
what is a school for children, that is a character for words
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Term
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Definition
plum
tree (mu) + child (zi)
a tree with many "childs"-fruits like plums |
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Definition
peace, safe, calm
house [mian] + woman (nu)
A woman sitting contentedly under a roof, sheltered from storms - the essence of peace and safety |
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Term
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Definition
feast, banquet
house [mian] + day/sun [ri] + woman (nu)
a house with warm lights and ladies is a place for a feast |
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Term
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Definition
good, well
woman (nu) + child (zi)
a mother cradling her child is the ultimate "good" in traditional Chinese values |
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Term
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Definition
thus, therefore, then, so
air exhaled slowly and deliberately in a sigh, as an overture to a sequential connection: "So,...", or "...,then..." |
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Term
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Definition
milk; grandma;
breast, to breastfeed
woman (nu) + so (nai)
I see a woman, so, she has breasts; therefore, she provides MILK; then she becomes grandma |
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Term
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Definition
slave, servant;
to enslave
woman (nu) + hand/again (you)
a kneeling woman gripped by man's hand was the brutal reality of ancient slavery |
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Term
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Definition
to strive,
to exert effort
slave (nu) + plow/power (li)
a slave, building his muscle-power, striving to be more efficient with a plow |
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Term
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Definition
like, as, if
woman (nu) + mouth (kou)
a woman, following the spoken words from her father or husband like they are coming from her own mouth, is the origin of compliance and analogy |
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Term
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Definition
bitter, spicy; laborious
an awl (šilo - za bušenje rupa u koži) for making marks of punishment |
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Term
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Definition
concubine
awl/pain (xin) + woman (nu)
to use an awl to "brand" a woman thus forcing her into servitude as a slave or a concubine |
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Term
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Definition
connect; receive
hand (nu) + concubine (qie)
to offer a hand to a concubine, so that he connects with her, or to receive her servitude |
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Term
|
Definition
entrust, appoint
rice plant/grain (he) + woman (nu)
a bending woman cares for bending grains so she should be entrusted with cereals |
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Term
|
Definition
arrow, dart
a man holding an arrow |
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Term
|
Definition
short, low
arrow (shi) + entrust (wei)
during grain-wars, women should be entrusted with short arrows since they have short hands |
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Term
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Definition
wife
hairpin [symbol] + hand [ji] + woman (nu)
a hand placing a hairpin in a woman's hair - that's a moment of becoming a wife
a married woman with ornamental hairpin to hold up in a chignon |
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Term
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Definition
mother (formal)
skew the 'woman' character and put two dots as breasts |
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Term
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Definition
each, every
每天 every day; 每件事 every matter
每逢 whenever; every time
a mother with a posh hairpin is an envy of each and every female elders |
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Term
|
Definition
sea, ocean
海洋 ocean; 人海 "a sea of people" (crowd);
when one see water EVERY where, he is looking at a sea |
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Term
|
Definition
father (formal)
the one with spread strong legs (stability) and powerful hands (disciplinary) holding a nunchaku (protective) is a model father |
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Term
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Definition
dad, father (informal)
father (fu) + child/hope (ba)
we call a less formal father - the one likes to play with snakes - 'dad' |
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Term
|
Definition
grandfather;
old gentleman
father (fu) + kneel/person (jie)
a father kneels respectfully in front of his grandfather |
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Term
|
Definition
clan/maiden name;
surname
root, a totem pole, or man's genitals |
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Term
|
Definition
paper
thread [si] + root/surname (shi)
the threads of fibers are the root of paper-making |
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Term
|
Definition
foundation;
dot [zhu] + root/surname (shi)
to put an accent on the root of the foundation |
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Term
|
Definition
low, to lower
person [ren] + foundation/lowest level (di)
when a person is forced to stand and wait on the lowest level his status is really low |
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Term
|
Definition
(the) people, citizen
a clan (with a flag) so large that it represent almost all the people |
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Term
|
Definition
dusk, dark,
muddle-headed
root/surname (shi) + sun (ri)
sun is setting down behind a totem pol creating a dusk and bringing the dark |
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Term
|
Definition
marriage, wedding
woman (nu) + faint/dark (hun)
it's an old tradition, still seen today, that a woman is escorted at dusk to her new home after the marriage |
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Term
|
Definition
old
the short version of the ancient 老;
a person with a hunched back and a long stick to help him to tread the ground is an old man |
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Term
|
Definition
old, elder(ly)
wild hair [lao] + walker/spoon (bi)
a sage with wild hair gripping a walker is the old iconic image of an elder |
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Term
|
Definition
to test, to examine to investigate, to inspect
old [lao] + cane/skillful [丂]
one needs the old man skillfulness to examine an argument, to investigate a case, or to test a hypothesis |
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Term
者 / 读者 / 记者
zhe / duzhe / jizhe |
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Definition
the one who
(read)-er, (journal)-ist
old [lao] + sun (ri)
an old experienced person uses the sun-period for his daily ritual job |
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Term
|
Definition
all, both;
capital, metropolis
old (zhe) + hill(left)/city(right) (yi)
the old cities, which had ALL inside the walls were a kind of capitals |
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Term
|
Definition
pig, hog
dog [quan] + old (zhe)
a dog-like beast which is one of the oldest domesticated animal is a pig |
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Term
|
Definition
long; elder ,leader; to grow
an elder man who has grown a long hair;
a simplified form of 長 |
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Term
|
Definition
to stretch/spread
bow (gong) + long (zhang)
a long bow must be stretched out to its full length to spread over the zone of range of the arrow |
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Term
|
Definition
to rise, to swell
water [shui] + spread (zhang)
the water starts to spread over the banks when it rises because of the rain, causing the furniture in the ground floor to swell |
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Term
|
Definition
bitter, toilsome
spicy, pungent; laborious, hardship
an awl (šilo - za bušenje rupa u koži) as a tool for marking slaves with pungent (a sharply strong) wounds thus condemning them to toilsome work and hardship
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Term
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Definition
parent
close, intimate
awl/pungent [xin] + 2 dotes []
a person with an awl will hesitate to put markings on those people who are intimate or close to him, specially if he is their parent |
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Term
|
Definition
new
parent (qin) + ax (jin)
a parent uses an ax to establish new rules (by replacing his awl with an new ax) to his inmates |
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Term
|
Definition
bright
In the early 2000s, Chinese netizens rediscovered 冏 due to its face-like appearance (resembling a squinting, grimacing expression), it became slang for "awkward," (Oh, no!) "speechless," (embarrassed) or "dumbfounded," akin to the English "facepalm."
someone is really "bright" |
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Term
|
Definition
trade(r), business
awl/pain (xin) + bright [jiong]
under a roof of a bright place - transparency is essential for trade - business is done with traders pretending to be dumfounded, while at the same time stab holding an awl behind their back |
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Term
|
Definition
auspicious, propitious
(good) luck(y)
warrior/scholar (shi) + mouth [symbol]
when a scholar says that the omens are auspicious (conducive to success; favorable) or propitious (giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable), the warriors are feeling lucky |
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Term
|
Definition
to tie/knot;
to bear (fruit)
thread [si] + lucky (ji)
a scholar explains that when threads of the society are tied into the auspicious symbol of the Eternal knot, the warriors will be able to bear fruits of lucky times |
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Term
|
Definition
ambition, determination, will
annals
warrior/scholar (shi) + heart (xin)
a scholar with his heart poured into recording annals has an ambition which could be equally matched with the will and determination of a warrior to be recorded in those annals |
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Term
|
Definition
sound, voice;
tone;
reputation
ax/scholar (shi) + stone plate [symbol]
Trad. 聲 = 殸 (sound production) + 耳 (sound reception)
even a warrior with an ax hitting on a stone plate can make a sound |
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Term
|
Definition
to rule, to govern,
to manage
water [shui] + platform (tai)
when a water is being channeled by a platform, that's an example of water management |
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Term
|
Definition
9th Chinese calendar sign
to hold a tool
a warrior with a a carrying pole |
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Term
|
Definition
to appoint/assign
responsibility, duty
person [ren] + carrying pole/9th (ren)
which person should hold which toll? The appointed person should hold the assigned tool to fulfill its duty |
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Term
|
Definition
platform;
unit for counting machines
chest/private (si) + altar [symbol]
a private chest put on the altar's platform as a gift;
the best "platform" to express own private things is a mouth |
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Term
|
Definition
to lift (up),
to raise, to carry
hand (shou) + platform (tai)
two hands take a huge chest and lift it up on a platform |
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Term
|
Definition
court(yard)
stand on tiptoe [symbol/ting] + long walk (yin)
The 廴 radical implied a spatial extension (the reach of authority), while 壬 suggested bearing the weight of governance; together we get a physical space of a royal or governmental court |
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Term
|
Definition
to lie down, to recline; crouch
subject (chen) + divination (ren)
minister is shocked when he heard the divination - that his eyes will bulge out of its eye-sockets - if he refuses to lie down and try to recline.
卧虎藏龙, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
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Term
|
Definition
dish, bowl, vessel, shallow container
Picture of a dish-like shallow container |
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Term
|
Definition
to supervise, to inspect
to monitor
minister/bulging eye (chen) + person (ren) + water [symbol] + vessel (min)
an official under the watchful eye of the minister is staring at the water bowl, supervising its filling and inspecting its surface, trying to monitore if the minister's orders are reflected clearly |
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Term
|
Definition
blue; indigo plant
grass (chao) + supervisor (jian-pronunciation)
a minister is supervising the quality of the indigo plants, to get the bluest of blue color |
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Term
|
Definition
basket
bamboo (zhu) + supervisor (jian-pronunciation)
of bamboo vessel inspected by a quality-control official to be sure that is it a water-tight basket |
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Term
|
Definition
view, look at
to browse/peruse
supervisor (jian) + see (jian)
a minister-supervisor is interested just in perusing (to read in a thorough or careful way) the documents to get the understanding; he is not in job of a quality-control (皿 is missing!) |
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Term
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Definition
emperor, royal
white (bai) + king (wang)
a white sunlit crown on the king's head embodies the Mandate of Heaven for the coronation of a new emperor |
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Term
|
Definition
inside, village
0,5 km
after the soil is divided into fields, one can talk about a village inside the borders of the farmlands |
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Term
|
Definition
reason, logic
(inner) principle
jade/king (yu) + village/inside (li)
Jade artisans examines the veins in jade to reveal hidden patterns inside - just as a king seeks reason and logic to efficiently rule over many villages |
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Term
|
Definition
ring, loop,
to surround/encircle
jade/king (yu) + not (bu)
NOT a single king would decline a jade-ring a symbol of a "sacred loop" |
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Term
|
Definition
arrow, dart
a man holding an arrow |
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Term
|
Definition
box
created in 1913, ㄈ is purely phonetic—a modern tool for sound representation without semantic history
Imagine ㄈ as the corner of a box (匚)—a visual shorthand for the "f" sound contained within characters like 方 (fāng) or 反 (fǎn) |
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Term
|
Definition
medicine, doctor
wound [symbol] + arrow (shi)
a box of tools and remedies, used for the wounds from arrows, helped the doctors to practice medicine |
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Term
|
Definition
(a)wait;
time, condition
person (ren) + man on a cliff [symbol] + arrow (shi)
a guard with arrows hiding on the hill checking the conditions (ユ), waiting (丨) patiently, ignoring passing of time (ユ) |
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Term
|
Definition
to know/be aware
arrow (shi) + mouth (kou)
when one speaks sharply and accurately - like an arrow - he knows what he is talking about |
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Term
|
Definition
short, brief; to lack
length (lit. long-short)
arrow (shi) + ceremonial bowl/bean (dou)
an arrow placed beside a vessel to check if the arrow is short enough to be put in |
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Term
|
Definition
bow
the most efficient weapon of this time was the bow |
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Term
|
Definition
dagger-axe, weapon
dagger-axe or halberd |
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Term
|
Definition
younger brother
junior male
spear/dagger axe (ge) + coiled around/bow (gong)
Picture of a spindle with thread wrapped around it, as a toy for the younger brother |
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Term
|
Definition
sequence, grade
prefix before a number; order
bamboos of younger brothers ranks them according to the birth order |
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Term
|
Definition
ladder; stairs
tree (mu) + younger brother (di)
younger brother uses his zig-zag shape as a template to build a wooden stairs or a ladder |
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Term
|
Definition
long; elder ,leader; to grow
an elder man who has grown a long hair;
a simplified form of 長 |
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Term
|
Definition
also; too / squint
when watching a woman's genitals one squints with the other eyes too |
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Term
|
Definition
to relax;
to slacken/loosen
bow (gong) + female genitals/also (ye)
when an anxious archer see woman's genitals he becomes relaxed |
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Term
|
Definition
barbarian;
to exterminate/wipe out
to raze/flatten
bow (gong) + person/big (da)
the alien big people, who used to live in the Eastern part of the old China, were very skillful with bows; with time those barbarians were exterminated and their home was flatten down |
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Term
|
Definition
aunt; mother's sister
woman (nu) + barbarian (yi)
to maintain peace woman from barbarians were married, but mother's sisters were still annoying |
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Term
|
Definition
to shoot
arrow connected to the bow with a string for shooting practice;
Measurement: Boundary stake in fields |
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Term
|
Definition
form, formula,
type, style
stringed arrow (yi) + tool/work (gong)
to work with a stringed arrow on shooting technique is an efficient type of training |
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Term
|
Definition
(to) test, to try
to examine, experiment
word (yan) + formula/pattern (shi)
a teacher explains that he is working with different types of stringed arrows to experiment with different styles of shooting |
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Term
|
Definition
to replace, to substitute
generation, era, period
person (ren) + stringed arrow (yi)
an archer uses stringed arrows all the time during the piece-period and he replaces them only with a new generation of training arrows - or in the case of war |
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Term
|
Definition
stop, halt
the foot that stopped its movement waiting |
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Term
|
Definition
military, martial
halberd/dagger axe (ge) + foot/stop (zhi)
The "stop the halberd" character (武) promotes the idea of restrain as a wise military strategy |
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Term
|
Definition
arrow, dart
a man holding an arrow |
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Term
|
Definition
box
created in 1913, ㄈ is purely phonetic—a modern tool for sound representation without semantic history
Imagine ㄈ as the corner of a box (匚)—a visual shorthand for the "f" sound contained within characters like 方 (fāng) or 反 (fǎn) |
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Term
|
Definition
medicine, doctor
wound [symbol] + arrow (shi)
a box of tools and remedies, used for the wounds from arrows, helped the doctors to practice medicine |
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Term
|
Definition
(a)wait;
time, condition
person (ren) + man on a cliff [symbol] + arrow (shi)
a guard with arrows hiding on the hill checking the conditions (ユ), waiting (丨) patiently, for the right time (ユ) to strike |
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Term
|
Definition
to know/be aware
arrow (shi) + mouth (kou)
when one speaks sharply and accurately - like an arrow - he knows what he is talking about |
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Term
|
Definition
short, brief; to lack
length (lit. long-short)
arrow (shi) + ceremonial bowl/bean (dou)
an arrow placed beside a vessel to check if the arrow is short enough to be put in |
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Term
|
Definition
to arrive; until
(ut)most;
an arrow 厶 shoot from the ground 土 toward the target (一) until it arrives with an utmost precision |
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Term
|
Definition
room, chamber
house [mian] + arrive/utmost
under the roof the place of the utmost importance is one's own room |
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Term
|
Definition
to arrive; to go to (a place)
until (a time)
arrive/utmost (zhi) + knife (dao)
they had to cut through the dense jungle, push themselves to the utmost, and travel far to reach the hidden temple where no one had ever arrived |
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Term
|
Definition
to fall, to collapse
to invert/reverse
person (ren) + arrive (dao) + knife []
the human factor inverts the arrow up into a bird fall down, 'to reach' into 'to collapse', and the 'arrival' into 'reverse' |
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Term
|
Definition
spear, lance
the shape of a spear with a curved detachable blade |
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Term
|
Definition
different, unusual
a traditional shamanic mask looks different - asymmetrical - and unusual when simplified |
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Term
|
Definition
to wear, to put on
decoration [symbol] + spear [ge] + different (yi)
a spear with decoration is for different occasions, like a coronation, when one puts on a decorated uniform |
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Term
|
Definition
I, me
saw [symbol] + spear [ge]
a hand holds a serrated spear in self-defense:
"I can protect myself" |
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Term
|
Definition
to look for, to seek
to try to find
hand (shou) + spear [ge]
a hand takes a halberd for probing the ground and digging through dirt to try to find buried things |
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Term
|
Definition
or,
perhaps, possibly
spear [ge] + mouth (kou) + land [symbol]
a halberd guarding (a line above 囗) a city gate must choose whether to let in (囗) OR to not (一) |
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Term
|
Definition
play, drama,
to tease
hand/again (you) + spear [ge]
a "soft" hand (compared to "sharp" hand in 找) takes a halberd for the mock battle in a war-drama |
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Term
|
Definition
ax; 5th in order
spear [ge] + line [pie]
broad-bladed ax on the top of the spear with a sharp blade |
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Term
|
Definition
to become; to accomplish; to succeed; to finish
ax (wu) + something [symbol]
a ceremonial axe (戊) planted upright in the ground sending the message: "the battle is finished - mission accomplished - we succeed in winning the war" |
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Term
|
Definition
city, city wall,
fortress
soil (tu) + accomplish (cheng)
when the wall of earth (土) is finished, a city becomes a fortress |
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Term
|
Definition
salt-y(-ed); all
(preserved in salty water)
ax (wu) + one (yi) + mouth (kou)
if you lick 口 the ax 戊 after the battle it tastes salty (一) because it’s ALL covered in sweat or blood |
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Term
|
Definition
to feel, to sense;
emotion, to affect
salty/all (xian) + heart (xin)
a heart is ALL about felling, and sensing, and emotions, which could affect even warriors |
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Term
|
Definition
to shout, to yell
to call out
mouth (kou) + salty/all (xian)
ALL warriors with their bloody salty axes like to shout victoriously after battle |
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|
Term
|
Definition
large ax
spear (ge) + round-shaped blade [symbol]
archaic version of the modern ax 钺 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to exceed/surpass to cross/climb over
run/walk (zou) + ax (yue)
Yue tribe from Southern China, well-known for their ax-wielding warriors, are walking and crossing the borderline and creating havoc - thus exceeding all the expectations |
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|
Term
|
Definition
small, tiny, trivial,
insignificant
two 戈 stacked vertically because of their smallness |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
money, cash, coin
metal [jin] + small (jian)
a metal which is small and shaped like a spade was used as an early version of coin and commodity money during the Zhou family |
|
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Term
|
Definition
shallow, not deep
superficial
water [shui] + small/tiny (jian)
where there is a tiny layer of water (or "small" in deep) we say that it is shallow |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
spear, lance
a spear has a sharp tip like an awl and a long handle
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|
|
Term
|
Definition
propitious (povoljan); brilliant
awl/spear (mao) + bright/clear [jiong]
a clear grandiose stab with a spear in a propitious moment
The 矛 component reinforces the idea of sharpness or piercing, while the lower part (冏/㕯) may symbolize an opening or effect of the action. Together, they depict a forceful, penetrating motion—whether literal (piercing) or metaphorical (dazzling brilliance). |
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|
Term
|
Definition
tangerine, orange
tree (mu) + grand (yu)
a tree with a fruit with "poked" peel is a tangerine
Fun fact: The "orange" color in Chinese is 橙色, but the fruit is 橘子—blame linguistic evolution! |
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|
Term
|
Definition
spear, halberd
striking weapon/tool
a manual wielding of a polearm weapon represented by its striking head |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
section, segment,
paragraph
clif [an] + floors [symbol] + strike/stick (shu)
a hand with a tool 殳 to cut stuff into segments, and a bookmark 殳 to divide a book in paragraphs |
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|
Term
|
Definition
to forge/wrought
to temper (metal)
metal (jin) + section (duan)
to strike a section of a metal to forge a new spear |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
sort, kind, class
boat (zhou) + strike/stick (shu)
a boat for weapons and a boat for tools - different class of boats for different sort of things |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to move/transport
hand (shou) + sort (ban)
a hand takes the sorted items and moves them to a boat to be transported |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to set up/arrange
to establish/design
word [yan] + strike/stick (shu)
words hit like a weapon to establish what is going on, and to set up a deal |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
not; not have;
to sink/submerge;
to disappear
water (shui) + strike/weapon (shu)
first, the spear sank, then it disappeared, and now one do not have neither a weapon nor a tool |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
ax; catty; 0,5 kg
ax for weight measurement |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
near, close (to),
to approach
ax(jin) + go [chuo]
going inside an ax-throwing range to stay near and close to home |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to reject, to repel
to scold
ax(jin) + to cut [symbol]
this ax is scolded and rejected |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to complain, to sue to appeal; to tell
word [yan] + rebuke (chi)
a vendor explains why that he rejects to tell how many costumers complaint, appealed to him or straightly sue him, because of the quality of his axes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
listen (to), hear
mouth (kou) + ax (jin)
taking an ax to one's mouth is a harsh way of saying he must listen carefully |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
soldier, military,
a force
ax(jin) + two hands (gong)
to attack by holding the ax with two hands above his head is a sign of a daring soldier |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
guest, visitor
house [mian] + soldier (bing)
brave soldier is always a welcomed guest in every house |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to divide/separate
a part, fraction
divide/eight (ba) + knife (dao)
The character 分 visually encapsulates the act of cutting with a knife (刀) to create parts (八) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
seven
upside-down 7 with a stroke
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|
|
Term
|
Definition
to cut, to slice;
close to
seven/cutting (qi) + knife (dao)
'7' initially represented the concept of cutting, and after adding a knife we get a clear cut
切 to cut (action)
分 to divide (separation)
割 to sever (forceful division) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
first, original
initial; early
clothes [yi] + knife (dao)
the fabric is cut first during the initial phase in creating clothes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(an)other
separate(ly)
mouth (kou) + power (li) - knife (dao)
a mouth (口) says resolutely (力): "Give me another option/slice" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to separate;(an)other; do not;
other (ling) + knife (dao)
one knife wants another piece of edible meat; the other knife says: do not touch the meat near the bones - I will separate it from the bones |
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|
Term
|
Definition
class, team, shift
group, squad
班级 class (in school); 夜班 night shift
上班 to go to work (lit. join the work shift); 下班 to get off work
king cuts a jade with his knife into several classes to give to his favorite squads and teams |
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|
Term
|
Definition
to scratch, to row
to divide, to delimit
to plan
spear (ge) + knife (dao)
a spear and a knife are strategically planning to divide the territory, but they are also good for scratching and rowing |
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|
Term
|
Definition
sharp
profit, benefit
rice plant (he) + knife (dao)
a rice plant is cut with precision because the knife is sharp, thus profiting from the efficiency |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
dry; clean; shield
to do; main part
a shield can also keep one dry from rain, and it can protect fragile stems from hail from the sky |
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Term
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Definition
year; New Year
age of person
person (ren) + rice plant (he)
the most important "Noon" in the year
Chinese people were harvesting rice once a year |
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Term
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Definition
noon; 11 am - 1pm
a parasol ("sun shield") is very useful during the midday period
when a pestle has no shadow from the sun - it is noon |
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Term
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Definition
to allow, to permit
to promise, maybe
word (yan) + pestle/noon (wu)
words are pounded out (izgnječiti) with a pestle around noon before allowing or maybe even promising something |
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Term
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Definition
<preposition>
at; in; on, from, to
related to location, comparison, and relation
a "shield" for different purposes |
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Term
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Definition
interrogative or
exclamatory particle
final particle in classical Chinese, expressing question or doubt |
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Term
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Definition
level, flat;
peace, fairness
A balance scale (干) with two equal weights (丷) sitting perfectly flat. |
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Term
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Definition
to comment, to criticize
to evaluate/rate
word (yan) + level/flat (ping)
speaking fairly or the words of fairness, to comment the issue |
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Term
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Definition
apple
grass [cao] + level/even (ping)
a plant like a tree with two apples on it
apple is a fruit grown evenly all around the world |
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Term
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Definition
dry; clean; shield
to do; main part
a shield can also keep one dry from rain, and it can protect fragile stems from hail from the sky |
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Term
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Definition
to combine, merge
to unite,
side by side; also
a simplified form of 並, two men 竝 standing
Two people (丷) standing side by side (丨丨) under one roof (一) = (merged) 并 (united) |
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Term
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Definition
tile (crijep, pločica)
earthenware (zemljano posuđe)
When the shape of two tiles fitting together “互[hù]” came to mean ‘mutual,’ the Chinese added a dot (丶) to stress the meaning ‘tile.’
a curved interlocking roof tiles |
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Term
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Definition
bottle, vase, flask
combine (bing) + tile (wa)
to combine fire + clay to make a ceramic vase or bottle |
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Term
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Definition
fortunate, lucky;
happiness
to cultivate the soil (土) is an toilsome (辛) and laborious job, but it is a fortunate chance to feel lucky |
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Term
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Definition
to translate/decode
to interpret
a word + again + double cross/orthodox cross/shorthand
to find a word for this character is not hard (to translate) the problem is to decode the shorthand |
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Term
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Definition
to select, to choose
a hand has to select the most suitable shorthand |
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Term
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Definition
just (now)
A hand (扌) came to a field 田 to put in a soil (±) a single seed (丶) just now |
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Term
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Definition
to assist/complement
auxiliary
a cart has just arrived on the field to assist in the farm work as an auxiliary vehicle |
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Term
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Definition
| measure word for vehicles |
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Term
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Definition
water vein; threads
A manmade structure (工) channels hidden flows (巛) — like building underground waterways, irrigation systems, or the “veins” of a city |
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Term
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Definition
light (in weight)
easy (abstract lightness)
frivolous* (flippant/neozbiljan)
cart (che) + loom/water vein (jing)
*not having any serious purpose or value.
rules to stop frivolous lawsuits
a cart is streamlined (巠) effortlessly because its threads are very light |
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Term
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Definition
to connect, to link
even, continuously
cart (che) + go [chuo]
a procession of carts (车) moving along a path (⻍), all linked together like a train one after another, connecting villages - even distant cities |
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Term
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Definition
warehouse, storehouse
house/wide (guang) + cart (che)
one stores a cart in a wide house like a warehouse |
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Term
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Definition
pants, trousers
clothes (yi) + warehouse (ku)
clothes from a warehouse, like pants, are practical |
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Term
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Definition
to sacrifice/worship
meat (rou) + hand/again (you) + altar/show (shi)
a hand placing a meat on an altar offering a sacrifice during a solemn ceremony |
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Term
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Definition
to examine/inspect
to observe closely
house (mian) + offering (ji)
Under a roof of a courtroom (宀) a judge meticulously inspects with his 又 the sacrificial (祭) meat (肉) for flaws before a ritual—this is examination in action! |
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Term
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Definition
to wipe/rub/scrub
hand/again (you) + examine (cha)
a hand carefully examines a dirty altar before rubbing the blood stains |
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Term
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Definition
ticket; bill; ballot banknote
cover/covering [symbol] + altar/show (shi)
an ornamented sheet of paper covering from an altar is so valuable that it is used as a banknote |
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Term
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Definition
to float, to drift
water [shui] + written prayer/banknote (piao)
a water surface carrying a fluttering sacred banknote, which is floating away |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
god, deity, spirit,
divine
an altar (礻) has been stroke by a lightning (申) as God's response to a sacrifice |
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Term
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Definition
ritual, rite, ceremony; propriety, courtesy
altar/show 礻=示 [shì] + hide 乚83e[yǐ]
an altar with many hidden offerings乚 as a part of an established ritual
In modern times, 礼 was simplified from 禮, retaining the 示 (altar) radical but replacing 豊 with 乚 (a phonetic marker) |
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Term
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Definition
society, community
organization, group
altar/show 礻=示 [shì] + soil 土152[tǔ]
the altar for the Earth God is not just in service of a group or organization - but for the whole society |
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Term
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Definition
blessing, good fortune, happiness, luck
an altar abundant and full of offerings to secure a blessing from gods |
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Term
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Definition
full (container), abundant
a cover on a container full of grains from a field |
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Term
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Definition
and, furthermore,
moreover; temporarily
a sacrificial stand or altar
think of 且 as a PLUS sign |
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Term
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Definition
ancestor, forefather
A ritual altar (礻) AND a ritual tablet (且) with a list of ancestors like generations on a family tree. That’s 祖: the ones who came before us. |
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Term
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Definition
to occupy/ posses
to divine, predict
a crack (卜) are interpreted (口) by shamans who are "claiming" land via divination thus approving a military occupation |
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Term
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Definition
shop, store; inn
house/broad 广143[guǎng] + occupy 占 [zhàn]
a house (广) occupied with divine blessing as a trading post (stores and shops), or an inn for the traveling salesmen |
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Term
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Definition
to stand; a stand
station, stop;
stand 立79 [lì] + occupy 占 [zhàn]
a stand (立) occupied (占) as a postal station, for Mongolian messengers, where they could rest their horses |
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Term
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Definition
a dot, point, drop
a little, a bit
to order (food)
to light/ignite
a divine brush for making dots with a black ink |
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Term
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Definition
outstanding, eminent
lofty (of imposing height)
a divination (卜) in the morning (早) revealed outstanding opportunities soon ahead |
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Term
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Definition
morning, early, soon
早起 to wake up early; 早睡 early to bed; 早上 morning; 早餐 breakfast
Sun (日) rises further up (十) from the dawn “旦[dàn],” to start morning. |
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Term
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Definition
to fall, to drop
to lose, to turn
hand 扌=手31 [shǒu] + tall and erect 卓 [zhuó]
a hand (扌) pushes an eminent (卓) oracle from the back making him fall down |
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Term
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Definition
table, desk
tall and erect 卓 [zhuó] + tree 木210[mù]
an eminent (卓) prophet becomes stabilized by putting down roots like a tree (木) at his lofty desk |
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Term
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Definition
place; to dwell/reside;
to handle, to deal with, to get along
walk slowly (zhi) + divination/dowser [bu]
a dowser walks slowly to find an auspicious place suitable for dwelling |
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Term
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Definition
card; to block/stop
to be stuck
<transliterator>
Stuck between above 上 and below 下 |
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Term
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Definition
omen
When you drill a hole in a bone or shell then put it in a fire, it cracks. This character got its meaning in the similar way to “divination 卜 [bǔ].” |
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Term
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Definition
to jump/leap/hop
foot ⻊=足52 [zú] + omen 兆 [zhào]
a sudden crack in a shell reveals a good omen (兆), which makes feet (⻊) jump in excitement |
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Term
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Definition
to escape, to flee,
to run away
to dodge, to evade
omen 兆 [zhào] + go 辶61[chuò]
a man is moving (辶) because something is about to happen (兆), and after seeing a bad omen - it's time to run away |
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Term
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Definition
to summon, to call to convene (sazvati)
knife (dao) + mouth (kou)
from the upper position of authority a knife guarantees that the calling out for the summoning cannot be ignored |
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Term
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Definition
to continue
to connect
to introduce
thread (si) + summon (zhao)
threads secures that the summoning will continue and finally connect people
The silk radical implies deliberate linking, while 召 adds the connotation of bringing something forward |
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Term
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Definition
bright, luminous
clear, illustrious, manifest
sun (ri) + summon (zhao)
to call up the sun to bring bright through the clouds |
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Term
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Definition
to shine/illuminate
to reflect, photo
bright (zhao) + fire [biao/huo]
the brightness brought by the fire makes not just the room shine, but one also can take a photo |
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Term
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Definition
to exceed/surpass
to leap over
to transcend/overtake super-, ultra-
run/walk (zou) + summon (zhao)
to summon all those, who walk faster than an average runner, thus exceeding all the expectation and, therefore, deserving the title super- or ultra-walker |
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Term
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Definition
(large) ship, boat, vessel
boat (zhou) + flowing lines (ba) + river mouth (kou)
几 (jī), though this is a modern misinterpretation—the original phonetic was 㕣, not 几
Picture a boat (舟) with a sail (几) on top, gliding through a mouth of a river |
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Term
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Definition
dish, bowl, vessel, shallow container
Picture of a dish-like shallow container |
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Term
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Definition
plate; tray, dish
to coil, to check
boat (zhou) + container [min]
a boat-sized shallow container is a gigantic plate of food for the whole stadium of people |
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Term
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Definition
minister, official, vassal, courtier
side way's version of 目 - a bulging wide open eye, suggesting an official looking down at the subordinates who are kneeling in an act of submission |
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Term
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Definition
(fine) silk, thread
纟 in simplified form
The "knots" (丷) at the bottom symbolizes tied silk strands, while 纟represents thread in motion
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Term
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Definition
tight, tense; urgent
harden (qian) + thread (si)
a hand (又) is gripping a minister (臣) by his silk skirt and belt, so that the loose threads (糸) could be urgently tighten (like tuning a string instrument to the perfect tension) |
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Term
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Definition
firm, strong, solid
hard, resolute
harden (qian) ??? + soil (tu)
a hand is pressing a kneeling minister into the earth to prove who is strong, hard, firm and resolute
臤 (firm, resilient) represents the human willpower combined with the earth as the ultimate foundation, and the solidity |
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Term
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Definition
firm, resilient
a hand (又) gripping the neck or arm of a kneeling person (臣), suggesting physical restraint (like subduing someone), or steadfastness (holding firm under pressure) when a hand (又) is pressing a kneeling minister (臣), it wants to prove its firmness |
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Term
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Definition
clothes, clothing, dress
an upper-body dress with sleeves attached on a hanger |
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Term
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Definition
first, original
initial; early
clothes [yi] + knife (dao)
the fabric is cut first during the initial phase in creating clothes |
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Term
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Definition
quilt, blanket;
<passive indicator> by
If you wear clothes (衤) made with animals skins (皮), you look like you are swathed in a blanket; the dead animal was stripped of its skin BY the human beings.
The subject that appears in front of “被” is a recipient of the action that follows |
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Term
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Definition
hair, fur, feather
picture of a feather, or a hair and fur growing out of body/stem |
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Term
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Definition
surface; outward appearance
to show/manifest
/express; a watch
hair 毛188[máo] + clothes 衣 [yī]
the chinchilla fur (毛) on the clothes (衣) makes the surface look soft and warm, and shows the financial status of the owner It came to mean ‘watch’ because it is worn on the wrist and is very visible. |
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Term
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Definition
agriculture; farming
farmer
a wide-brimmed hat (冖) and long-sleeved clothes (衣) is what a farmer wears while he is working in agriculture |
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Term
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Definition
to line, to contrast
lining (postava)
underwear, undergarment
clothe 衤=衣 [yī] + hand/joint/inch 寸40[cùn]
a piece of clothing (衤) carefully measured in inches (寸) and sewn to line or support another piece |
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Term
|
Definition
shirt, robe
unlined upper garment
clothe 衤=衣 [yī] + decorate/hair 彡8[shàn]
a piece of clothe (衤) with flowing hairy fabric 彡 combined to form a soft, stylish shirt |
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Term
|
Definition
towel, turban, scarf
A towel is a square piece of fabric used to wipe hands |
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Term
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Definition
city
top frame 亠 [symbol] + towel 巾 [jīn]
a horizontal pole with a top frame (亠) with pieces of fabric (巾) hanging was a shop sign and markets were full of them. A place with many markets is a ‘city.’ |
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Term
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Definition
to carry, to bring along
belt, band, ribbon
zone, area
belt 卅 [symbol] + cover 冖169[mì] + towel 巾 [jīn]
an ornate 卌 belt (冖) around the fabric (巾), often used to attach things to ‘to carry’ around |
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Term
|
Definition
to hope for, to wish
rare, sparse
shape of weaves →爻 [symbol] + towel 巾 [jīn]
an original decoration (爻) on a fabrics (巾) is something every woman is hopping for because it is rare |
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Term
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Definition
teacher, master
military division
to surround, to encircle
sacrifice →193[duī] + wrap around 帀 [zā]
the accumulated knowledge of how to encircle the enemy is represented by an academically dressed teacher in front of a military division |
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Term
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Definition
lion
dog 犭[quǎn] + master 师 [shī]
the animal (犭), which is the master-expert (师), is the lion |
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Term
|
Definition
hat, cap
towel 巾131[jīn] + emit/risk 冒 [mào]
with added fabric (towel) the hood above the eye becomes a hat |
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Term
|
Definition
cloth, textile
to spread/distribute
to announce/declare
to beat a fabric spread under a flat stone was the ancient technique of ironing the cloth |
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Term
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Definition
thread, silk
This character replaces “thread 丝 [sī]” when used as part of a more complicated character, having something to do with ‘tying or connecting,’ typical thread-like characteristics. |
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Term
|
Definition
thread
The shape of a neatly rolled ball or a tangled mess of thread.
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Term
|
Definition
to tie; to link
system, department
line 丿234[piě] + thread 糸=纟[sī]
a finger (丿) pulls a thread (糸) into a small system in which every thread is linked with every ‘department’ |
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Term
|
Definition
tired, exhausted
fatigue; to pile up
to accumulate/implicate
4 fields (田) tied together with threads (糸) presents an accumulated capital, which would be very exhausting to keep it in order |
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Term
|
Definition
to continue
to succeed/inherit
thread 纟[sī] + cross section of a rope [symbol]
a thread (纟) follows a whole bunch of previous threads continuing to be woven together |
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Term
|
Definition
to summon, to call to convene (sazvati)
knife (dao) + mouth (kou)
from the upper position of authority a knife guarantees that the calling out for the summoning cannot be ignored |
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Term
|
Definition
to continue
to connect
to introduce
thread (si) + summon (zhao)
threads secures that the summoning will continue and finally connect people
The silk radical implies deliberate linking, while 召 adds the connotation of bringing something forward |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
to give; for
for (the benefit of)
to supply/provide
thread [si] + join/combine (he)
silk, carefully wrapped together, given as a gift |
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Term
|
Definition
warp; to undergo pass through
scripture
thread 纟 [sī] + loom/water vein →巠124b[jīng]
threads (纟) are streamed inside a loom passing through the other threads thus creating sheets of silk paper for the scriptures |
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Term
|
Definition
and, furthermore,
moreover; temporarily
a sacrificial stand or altar
think of 且 as a PLUS sign |
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Term
|
Definition
to organize/form
to assemble
group, team, set
thread 纟 [sī] + cutting board/and 且224[qiě]
silk threads (糸) tied to a wooden stand (且) to create a set (组)—like a structured group bound by shared purpose |
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Term
|
Definition
to practice / train
训练 to train; 军事训练 military training
To make silk, the thread (纟) has to be extracted from the silkworm’s cocoon and this is done by soaking them in boiling water. The time has to be estimated (symbol) correctly and that requires much practice |
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Term
|
Definition
tight, tense; urgent
harden (qian) + thread (si)
a hand (又) is gripping a minister (臣) by his silk skirt and belt, so that the loose threads (糸) could be urgently tighten (like tuning a string instrument to the perfect tension) |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
fine, thin; tiny
slender, delicate
thread 纟 [sī] + fontanel 田154→囟28a[xìn]
a single silk thread (糸) stretched across a grid (田) to check how thin and fine (细) it is—like a microscope examining fibers. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
red; revolutionary
红军 Red Army; 红旗 red flag (symbol of the Party)
红颜 , beautiful woman (poetic trope, lit. red face)
网红 internet celebrity (lit. net red); 爆红 to go viral (lit. explode red)
走红 to become famous (lit. walk red); 红利 dividend (lit. red profit)
threads of silk (纟) dyed by an
ingenious craftsman into red (红) - the color of revolutionist - because it was believed that it brings good fortune |
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Term
|
Definition
to record, to copy
a hand (彐 ) measures the level of water (水) to record how much rain fell that day |
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Term
|
Definition
writing, language
literature, culture pattern
character; script
A man with a tattoo on his chest (乂), below the head (亠), symbolizing patterns - and from that the idea of writing or cultural markings (characters) developed. |
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Term
|
Definition
this
character (文) goes (辶) to this direction |
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Term
|
Definition
neat, uniform
together
be level with; even
Simplified form of 齊
Ears of grain are growing in neat and even lines |
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Term
|
Definition
to help, to aid; to relieve
to cross, to ferry
water 氵202[shuǐ] + even 齐 [qí]
a water (氵) is not an obstacle for a tattoo man (文) with even stilts (丿 + 丨), which will help him to cross a river |
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Term
|
Definition
to squeeze/crowd
to push (against)
hand 扌=手31[shǒu] + even 齐 [qí]
hands (扌) aligned to uniformly push inside a crowded hall to squeeze as much as possible |
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|
Term
|
Definition
white, blank
A drop of water reflecting the sun (日) and shining (丶) white; figuratively speaking: the best color |
|
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Term
|
Definition
hundred
one 一223[yī] + best/white 白 [bái]
number one(一) combined with the best (白) means ‘100’; or rotate the character 45 degree to the left
or |
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Term
|
Definition
lodge for the night; stay overnight;
constellation, stars
house 宀141[mián] + person 亻70[rén] + hundred 百 [bǎi]
An inn is a house (宀) where hundreds (百) of people (亻) can lodge for a night. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
aim; <structural particle>
white 白134[bái] + ladle 勺 [sháo]
Round ripples shaped like a shooting target form when a ladle (勺) is used to serve wine. Targets are drawn on white (白) backgrounds for visibility |
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Term
|
Definition
to fear/be afraid of
heart 忄=心28[xīn] + white 白 [bái]
a heart (忄) turning pale and white (白) from fright |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
clap, beat
take a photo
hand (shou) + white (bai)
a the beginning of a scene one just see hands clapping white clapperboard/slate |
|
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Term
|
Definition
blue-green, azure;
youth, young
young green plant (生) under "blue moon" (冃) are the colors of nature |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
clear, pure
water 氵202[shuǐ] + blue 青 [qīng]
a water (氵) that reflects the hues of nature: blue (青) skies, green (青) plants, because it is so transparent and clear |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
rice; meter
A cross (十) holds four grains (灬) of rice that fell from the harvest. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
refined, skilled
essence, spirit
rice 米138[mǐ] + blue/clarity 青 [qīng]
rice (米) is polished until it becomes pure azure (青) thus extracting its essence, and such a refined grain is ready to eat |
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Term
|
Definition
to ask, to invite
to request; please
word 讠=言22[yán] + blue/clarity 青 [qīng]
using words (讠) refined with azure (青) shades to ask, or to invite, or to simply be polite by saying: "Please" |
|
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Term
|
Definition
feeling, emotion
situation, circumstance
heart 忄=心28[xīn] + blue 青 [qīng]
q
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
clear or fine weather
sun 日218[rì] + blue 青 [qīng]
The sun (日) shines in a cloudless blue (青) sky when the weather is clear |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
eyeball
eye 目 [mù] + blue/clarity 青135[qīng]
when one’s eyes (目) are clear (青), one can see the pupils |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
contend (boriti se, tvrditi),
to strive; dispute,
fight, struggle
person [ren] + hand [ji] + hook [jue]
a high-person is holding a hooked scepter which another hand is disputing and contending and struggling to take away |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
quiet, calm, still
motionless
blue/green (qing) + contend/dispute (zheng)
the left character (青) is a source of many disputes whether it represents green or blue color, and it should be resolved in a calm and quite manner
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|
|
Term
|
Definition
yellow
leafless branches of an autumn tree with yellow leaves on the ground |
|
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Term
|
Definition
3rd; 3-5 am
to insist to stay under a roof (宀) there is one (一) stupid excuse out of (由) eight (八) reasonable explanations: it's the so-called Tiger hour, (therefore, it's safer to stay at home), which, of course, doesn't make sense since neither there are tigers on the streets, nor there is in the character (Chinese character for tiger is 虎) |
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Term
|
Definition
to perform, to act
to evolve/develop
water 氵[shuǐ] + Tiger/3rd 寅 [yín]
water (氵) lures the pseudo-tigers (寅) to act like they are tigers (虎) |
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Term
|
Definition
to eat, meal, food
covered with a lid (亼), there is a good (艮) meal kept warm for eating. Used as part of a character, it changes to 饣. |
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Term
|
Definition
to be hungry, hunger, to starve
eat 饣=食 [shí] + I/me 我113b[wǒ]
that's food (饣) for me (我) because I (我) am hungry |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
full, satisfied
eat (shi) + wrap (bao)
to be 'full' means you eat so much that you look like a woman who has a child inside |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to hand over,
to deliver; cross
intersect; pay
head (tou) + crossed legs (symbol)
under a roof, a head of the family - the father - is responsible for delivering important decisions |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
dumpling
eat 饣=食137[shí] + mix/deliver 交 [jiāo]
Dumplings are made by delivering (交) various ingredients to eat (饣) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
refined, skilled
essence, spirit
rice 米138[mǐ] + blue/clarity 青 [qīng]
rice (米) is polished until it becomes pure azure (青) thus extracting its essence, and such a refined grain is ready to eat |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
broken, hollow,
worn out
rice 米 [mǐ] + woman 女96[nǚ]
娄子 - "trouble" (metaphor from something broken/hollow)
A woman (女) who is always carrying heavy sacks of rice (米) becomes worn out. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
storied building; floor
tree 木 [mù] + rice 米 [mǐ] + woman 女 [nǚ]
A wooden tower (木) where rice (米) is stored by women (女) who are using this
storied building as a storehouse |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to count; number;
frequent
rice 米 [mǐ] + woman 女96[nǚ] + strike 攵 [pū]
a women (女) is carrying a sack of rice (米), which are hit by an official with a baton (攵), who is counting the number of rice sacks carried on their heads |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
the Tang Dynasty;
to exaggerate
(from the "grand speech" concept)
荒唐 = absurd/ridiculous
in a classroom 广 the written 肀 poems are recited 口 by kids, thus giving an homage to the Tang Dynasty, China's golden age of culture and poetry |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
sugar, candy
rice 米 [mǐ] + pounding/Tang Dynasty 唐 [táng]
thanks to the abundance of rice, the Tang Dynasty was able to trade the surplus for sugar |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
grain, cereal
rice plant
A rice stalk is a kind of a tree (木) that hangs its head (丿) as it ripens. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
harmony, peace
and; with
rice plant/grains 禾 [hé] + mouth 口 [kǒu]
a lot of grains (禾) for all mouths (口) creates peace AND harmony |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
autumn, fall
when grains (禾) meets fire (火) it's autumn—time to harvest and burn fields |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
sharp
profit, benefit
rice plant (he) + knife (dao)
a rice plant is cut with precision because the knife is sharp, thus profiting from the efficiency |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
fragrant, good-smelling
incense (tamjan)
rice plant 禾 [hé] + sun 日 [rì
rice (禾) baked by the sun (日) releases a fragrance that pleases gods and mortals alike |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
and, furthermore,
moreover; temporarily
a sacrificial stand or altar
think of 且 as a PLUS sign |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to rent, to lease, tax
租房 rent a house; 出租 for rent; 地租 land rent; 租车 rent a car
bags of rice (禾) stacked (且) and carried to a landlord to pay the rent |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
season (of the year)
youngest child
rice plant 禾 [hé] + child 子95[zǐ]
grain plants (禾) gives birth to new life (子) during the best of the seasons |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
short, brief; to lack
length (lit. long-short)
arrow (shi) + ceremonial bowl/bean (dou)
an arrow placed beside a vessel to check if the arrow is short enough to be put in |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
short, brief; to lack
length (lit. long-short)
arrow (shi) + ceremonial bowl/bean (dou)
an arrow placed beside a vessel to check if the arrow is short enough to be put in |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
joy, to like
happy; happiness
instrument name 壴51b[zhǔ] + mouth 口16[kǒu]
when drum sticks (十) are beating the ritual drums (豆) everybody cheers (口) with joy and happiness |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
kitchen, cook
house/broad 厂→广 [guǎng] + altar/bean 豆 [dòu] + hand/joint 寸 [cùn]
inside a kitchen (广) beans (豆) are sorted by the hands (寸) of the cook |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
hole, cave,
acupuncture point
roof/dwelling (mian) + split open (ba)
Imagine a tiny house (宀) built on a mountain.
Below the roof, there's a split (八) in the ground—an entrance to a secret cave. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
penetrate, pass through
wear (clothes)
cave (xue) + tooth (ya)
a molar penetrates gums creating a kind of a cave; one also wears clothes by "penetrating" through sleeves and trouser legs |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
chimney
the vent on the roof of the house will help Trinity to escape; older form is 囪 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
window, shutter
cave/hole 穴 [xué] + chimney/vent 囱 [cōng]
a hole (穴), bigger than a vent for a chimney is a window |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
air, sky, empty, void; to vacate
空的 empty; 空腹 on an empty stomach; 有空 to have free time
空心 hollow-hearted (metaphor for insincerity)
空白 blank space; 空间 cyberspace or outer space;
天空 sky (lit. heaven's void); 航空 aviation (lit. navigating the void)
a cave (穴) dug out with tools (工), the void inside only filled with air
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to dash, to break through
suddenly, abruptly
to protrude
cave 穴 [xué] + dog 犬172[quǎn]
out of a cave- (穴) a dog (犬) suddenly dushed out |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
bed
house/broad 广 [guǎng] + tree 木210[mù]
a house (广) with a wooden (木) structure within - the bed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
slave; be subordinate to
the ancient character show a hand holding on to an animal tail - illustrating subordination |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
health(y), peaceful well-being
house/broad (guang) + slave/subordinate (li)
for the health reason, it is good to have a slave in house
(overall being, peace, harmony, comfort) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
degree; extent; (to) measure
house/broad 广 [guǎng] + twenty 廿50d[niàn] + hand/again 又34[yòu]
inside a large house (广) twenty (廿) hands (又) are measuring the extent and degree of job to do |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
should, ought to
to answer/respond
to deal with
house/broad 广 [guǎng] + people [symbol]
In an office with three walls (广), the people (symbol) should be answered gently as if they are small birds with all his heart;
报应 - "Karma" (lit. "retributive response") |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
village, hamlet
manor (plemićka kuća)
house/broad 广 [guǎng] + soil 土152[tǔ]
a house (广) the rich build to watch over their land (土) in the village is called a manor |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
viscera; internal organs
dirty, filthy
meat 月221→肉192[ròu] + villa/manor 庄 [zhuāng]
a meat (肉) from slaughtered animal goes to a manor (庄), while the dirty viscera remains for the village |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
door, household family,
a single door (compared to the larger double doors 门) is for a small household |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
place, location, building
<normalizer>
(turns verbs into nouns)
door (戶) with an ax (斤) behind is a place where work or action happens |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
square, direction;
one side; party
a plow has a shape of a square, and it moves always in the same direction while it pushes the soil to one side, and one-sidedness is a hallmark of parties |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
room; house
door 户 [hù] + square 方160[fāng]
a door (户) in front of a squared (方) space, like a room or a house |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
book, volume, tom
register, record
bamboo stripes tied together as a book |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
flat, flattened
to make flat
door 户 [hù] + book 冊→册217[cè]
A door (户) with a writing 册 FLAT surface mounted by a doorway |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
everywhere, all over; time(s)
flat 扁 [biǎn] + go 辶61[chuò]
moving (辶) on the flattened (扁) area makes it easier to go (辶) everywhere |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
piece (of writing); sheet
measure words for written items
(短篇) "short stories"
bamboo 竹216[zhú] + flat 扁 [biǎn]
Before paper was invented, slabs of bamboo (竹) flattened (扁) and tied together to make a piece of writing |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to protect/guard
to defend/shield
hand 扌=手31[shǒu] + door 户 [hù]
a hand (扌) held out toward a door (戶), in order to protect it |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
<suffix>
plural marker for pronouns and a few animate nouns
person 亻70[rén] + door 门 [mén]
“门” is a door that is only complete as a set of two, so this character is a suffix showing plural usage of people (亻). It is always used after a pronoun or noun indication a person |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to ask, to inquire
door 门 [mén] + mouth 口16[kǒu]
at a door (门) one points out toward the dot (´) and asks (口) what is this for |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
between, among; space, gap
door 门 [mén] + sun 日218[rì]
the portal (门) lets the sun (日) through thanks to the gap between the door and the doorframe |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
simple, concise;
a letter
Before paper was invented, Chinese were writing on a flat bamboo (竹) with a little space (间) so their style needed to be simple and concise |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
mutual, reciprocal
each other
picture of two hooks hooking each other;
Roofing tiles are made in such a way that they mutually compatible |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
tile (crijep, pločica)
earthenware (zemljano posuđe)
When the shape of two tiles fitting together “互[hù]” came to mean ‘mutual,’ the Chinese added a dot (丶) to stress the meaning ‘tile.’
a curved interlocking roof tiles |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
bottle, vase, flask
combine (bing) + tile (wa)
to combine fire + clay to make a ceramic vase or bottle |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to combine, merge
to unite,
side by side; also
a simplified form of 並, two men 竝 standing
Two people (丷) standing side by side (丨丨) under one roof (一) = (merged) 并 (united) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
extra, surplus, remainder;
I, me (classical)
剩余 leftover, surplus; 多余 unnecessary, extra
业余 spare time, or amateur (lit. beyond work)
an archaic component meaning "to ";
what is gathered (亼) on the altar (示) is the surplus |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to remove/eliminate;
to wipe out/divide
except
删除 – "To delete" (digital context)
on a hill (阝) there is always a surplus (余) of material to be removed the parts of the stones, thus eliminating much of the hard work of climbing up. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to pay; to
hand over;
to entrust/assign
house/broad (guang) + hand/joint [cun]
a person is handing money (´) to pay for the hand-job |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to attach/append
to rely on (subsidiary)
to be near
hill/mound [fu] + hand over/pay (fu)
"Boss on the hill" likes to be handed over a bribe (´) when he is near his subordinates, who know that they have to attach some cash in the letter of request |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
all, everyone, unanimous
assemble (ji) + many people [symbol]
people gathered all in one place |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
sun, sunlight;
positive, male
阴阳 (yīnyáng) – yin and yang (the dual forces in Chinese philosophy)
This describes the sun (日) rising above a hill (阝). This character, in particular, depicts the sun to symbolize “Yang,” an opposing force of “Yin,” but also the man genitals |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
the moon; cloudy, shade, negative, female, feminine
hill 阝[fù] + moon 月221[yuè]
This describes the moon (月) rising above a hill (阝), and symbolizes “Yin” as explained in the above character “阳.” |
|
|
Term
者 / 读者 / 记者
zhe / duzhe / jizhe |
|
Definition
the one who
(read)-er, (journal)-ist
old [lao] + sun (ri)
an old experienced person uses the sun-period for his daily ritual job |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
all, both;
capital, metropolis
old (zhe) + hill(left)/city(right) (yi)
the old cities, which had ALL inside the walls were a kind of capitals |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cause, reason,
by, from, due to, because of
a plant (ι) sprouts from a field showing its origin |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
mail, post(al)
邮件 – "mail" (letters, packages); 邮局 – "post office"; 电子邮件 – "email"
FROM a field to a city a message is transported by mail |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
that (one)
那个 "Which one?" 那人 "That person"
Imagine someone pointing toward a distant town (⻏) and saying: "That place over there!" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
which? where?
a mouth is pointing toward a city asking: "Which way?" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
neighbor(hood)
the one who commands (令) in the city (⻏) is actually a boss (⻏) from my neighborhood |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cliff, slope
factory, plant
Simplified form of 廠, spacious 敞(phonetic) shed 广
A cliff with stones jutting out at the edge
A factory is a place where products are stacked like cliffs (厂). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
opposite, against
to reverse/oppose
counter-, anti-
it is hard to climb a cliff (厂) and with hands only and again (又) to go go down in an opposite direction |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(cooked) rice; meal, food
to eat what is the opposite of raw food - a cooked rice |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
board, plank
a piece of a "cylindrical" wood (木) turned into something opposite (反): a flat surface, like a plank or a board |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
adversity (nedaće), distress, disaster
cliff [an] + person (jie)
a person falling off a cliff is facing adversities |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
danger(ous), precarious
a man on a cliff is can face adversities in a dangerous situation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
far, remote area
boundary
When a border crossing is closed, it becomes one boundary that is just too far away and impossible to cross. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
again, once more
another, re-
to gradually, gently, or softly proceed
冄 (an archaic variant of 冉) depicted dangling decorations on robes + (丨) for slowly and gently proceeding;
So 冄 + (丨), combined with (一) could go for once again |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
same, together
inside a boundary (冂) one (一) authoritative mouth (口) is same as voice of a tribune |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
towards; to face
in direction of
under a roof (宀) standing in front of a window (冂 ), and calling out (口) while looking toward something in the distance |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to sound, to make noise, to be loud
One yells (口) loudly towards (向) noisy mouths (口) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
reverence; still,
to esteem, to value
still, yet
speaking (口) highly (⺌) towards (向) something one esteems or values highly (⺌) (or enclosing something valuable) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
often, frequently,
normally, ordinarily
esteem highly a sacred banner as often as possible |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
palm of hand
what one values or highly esteems, one holds it on a palm of his hands |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
hall, large room
highly esteemed (尙) earth platform (土) for the main hall - the heart of traditional Chinese architecture and family life |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to recline, lie down
fat bodies have a high esteem for a comfortable couch because they value the chance to recline or lie down |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to be (in position)
to act as; at that time (temporal balance)
should (moral equivalence)
当心 "Be careful!" / 当真 "To take seriously."
Active roles/duties (当医生 "be a doctor")
Transactions/misperceptions (上当 "be fooled") |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
inside, village
0,5 km
after the soil is divided into fields, one can talk about a village inside the borders of the farmlands |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
reason, logic
(inner) principle
理想 ideal; 合理 reasonable; 真理 truth
理论 theory; 定理 theorem; 物理 physics (lit. things' principles)
心理 psychology (mind principles)
Jade artisans examines the veins in jade to reveal hidden patterns inside - just as a king seeks reason and logic to efficiently rule over many villages
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
weight(y), heavy
to repeat, important
repetition, again
1000 (千) times in a field to pick up grains is a heavy - but important task, which demands a lot of repetition |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to understand
to know
a heart (忄) adds to supervising (董) a deeper understanding |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to supervise/ direct
director (of a company/organization)
grass is very important on the farmland and it should be supervised by the director of the farm |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
also; too
when watching a woman's genitals one squints with the other eyes too |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
earth, ground, land
<structural particle, before a verb or adjective>
soil gives life like woman's genitals to the farmed land |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
field, open space, ground, place
traditional form 場
A large ground (土) with sunlight shining upon it (昜) provides a suitable place (场) people to gather and hold events |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to sit; take a seat
two people (人) sitting down on ground (土) to have a sitting |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
seat, base, stand
a person who is comfortably seated during a sitting (坐) inside a house (广). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
bad, spoiled (food)
broken, not working
When the soil (土) no longer (不) produce crops it is turned bad |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
stingy
double+ soil + [symbol 'plus'] + storage (symbol)
a stingy person puts money in a vault inside a vault buried under double layer of soil |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
wall
soil (tu) + stingy (se)
walls of soil are build by stingy people |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
once (in the past)
great-grand
未曾 "never have"; 曾孙 "great-grandson";
曾几何时 "not long ago" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to increase, to add
to enhance
earth (土) accumulates additional layers (曾) thus increasing its size
增值 "added value", 增量 "increment"; 增强 "to strengthen" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
strange, queer
a heart (忄) in front of something holy and wise (又) feels strange |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
holy, sacred
sage, wise person
a hand that rules everything on the earth, holy from above, earth-grounded and wisely down |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
jade tablet
Metaphorical: Authority, precision, and moral benchmarks |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to hang/suspend
using the hand (扌) to place hand-tablet in a elevated or fixed position, like hanging an object on a hook |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to seal, to close
封建 "feudal", 封王 "to crown a king"
封锁 "to blockade", 封路 "to close a road"
A formal act (圭) done by hand (寸) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
leather, an animal hide
to change/reform
a pictograph of a stretched-out animal hide with straps — used in tanning or crafting leather; the top resembles straps or fasteners; the middle and bottom parts suggest the hide stretched out
Core Idea: From raw hide to metaphors for change
革新 "innovation", 变革 "transformation"
革命家 "revolutionary" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
shoes;
footwear in general
鞋店 "shoe store"
穿小鞋 "to make life hard for someone," lit. "to wear tight shoes"
Officers and servants who are given the insignia tablet (圭) from the king could wear leather (革) shoes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
OK; to move/travel
to go/walk
taking the shape of a crossroad, where one decides where to go, walk, or move |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
street, road
crossroads/go (xing) + jaded tablet (gui)
a crossroad has tablets with the name of the streets |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
border, boundary;
limit
create 4 fields by interposing 2 boundaries between them, thus limiting the wealth |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
tired, exhausted
fatigue; to pile up
to accumulate/implicate
4 fields (田) tied together with threads (糸) presents an accumulated capital, which would be very exhausting to keep it in order |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to prepare, get ready;
provide, equip
a farmer walking slowly behind an ox-drawn plow, preparing his field for the next year |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
circumference;
thoroughness;
week; cycle, full circle
周密 "meticulous", 周全 "comprehensive"
a border (冂) that goes around a field (田) with crops that will become food for the mouth (口), making a fool loop just like how a week or cycle goes full circle |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
to adjust, to tune
tone; to harmonize
to transfer
one speaks (讠) for weeks to harmonize the situation on the field |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
seedling (sadnica)
sprout (mladica)
a sprout (艹) which is coming up out of the field (田) in the spring. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cat
a cat is an animal (犭) with seedling-like (苗) whiskers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
cause, reason,
by, from, due to, because of
a plant (ι) sprouts from a field showing its origin |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
draw out; to pump
抽烟 – "to smoke a cigarette"; 抽签 – "to draw lots"; 抽税 – "to levy a tax"
a hand (扌) takes a bucket from (由) a well to draw out some water |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
mail, post(al)
邮件 – "mail" (letters, packages); 邮局 – "post office"; 电子邮件 – "email"
FROM a field to a city a message is transported by mail |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
explain
重申 – "to reiterate"; (申明, shēnmíng – "to declare")
申请 – "to apply" (extending a request);
申诉 – "to appeal" (formally stating a case)
Symbolizes thunder that spreads out to all directions. Came to mean explain as in explaining your opinion or will to all directions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
god, deity, spirit,
divine
an altar (礻) has been stroke by a lightning (申) as God's response to a sacrifice |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
electricity
电脑 computer ("electric brain"); 电话 telephone ("electric speech")
电视 television ("electric vision").
a lightning bolt “申[shēn]” with a "twist" symbolizing the practical usage of an atmospheric phenomena as electricity |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
lamp, light, lantern
traditional form 燈
电灯 "Electric light" (电 + 灯); 红灯 "Red light" (traffic signal)
台灯 "Desk lamp."
a fire (火) burning on top of a lampstand (丁) as a lamp |
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Term
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Definition
high, lofty, eminent
sacred earth-mound on a towering stand—a symbol of divine authority and celestial connection; Emperor Yao |
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Term
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Definition
to burn, to cook
fever
TRAD. 燒; 烧火 "To light a fire." 烧毁 "To burn down."
发烧 fever, literally "emit + burn" (body heat).
burning (火) of enemy’s corpse which is hung high (尧) to create fear. |
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Term
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Definition
autumn, fall
when grains (禾) meets fire (火) it's autumn—time to harvest and burn fields |
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Term
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Definition
bother, feel vexed,
to trouble, troublesome
别麻烦 "Don’t bother!"; 心烦意乱 "Distracted and upset" (lit. "heart annoyed, mind chaotic").
anyone with a head on fire would be much in trouble |
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Term
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Definition
to talk, to chat
谈判 "Negotiation" (formal discussions).
谈论 "To discuss" (often in-depth).
words (讠) of heat (炎) flying back and forth — a lively conversation or a heated (炎) discussion |
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Term
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Definition
black, dark
黑暗 "Darkness" (literal or metaphorical)
黑板 "Blackboard." 黑客 "Hacker" (lit. "black guest").
a chimney, thanks to charcoal (土) burnt by fire (灬), becomes dark and black |
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Term
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Definition
to occupy/ posses
to divine, predict
a crack (卜) are interpreted (口) by shamans who are "claiming" land via divination thus approving a military occupation |
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Term
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Definition
a dot, point, drop
a little, a bit
to order (food)
to light/ignite
a divine brush for making dots with a black ink |
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Term
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Definition
right, correct
so, thus, like that
果然 guǒrán, "indeed"; 然而 "However" ("thus + but")
meat (肉) of a dog (犬) burning on a fire (灬) because the sacrificial rituals were performed like that |
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Term
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Definition
heat, hot
热能 "Thermal energy."
热情 – enthusiasm, warmth (of personality)
a hand (扌) throws the "energy pellets" on fire (丸) to increase the heat |
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Term
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Definition
power
Power is needed to pull the plow in fields. |
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Term
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Definition
male, man
男性 "Male gender."; 男女 "Men and women."
a field (田) plowed (力) by a man |
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Term
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Definition
to do, to manage
to handle
办公 "To work" (lit. "handle official duties")
办法 "Method" (lit. "way to handle")
a power (力) of eight (八) to do and handle all kinds of jobs |
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Term
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Definition
to do/act; as, for
为什么 Why? (lit. "for what?"); 因为 "Because."
a power (力) to act (丶) as someone for (丶) something |
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Term
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Definition
side
a furrow is made when a plow passes and pushes soil to one side |
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Term
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Definition
to move, to act
TRAD 動; 运动 "Exercise" (lit. "to move")
a cloud (云) forces a man with a plow (力) to move faster because of the coming rain |
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Term
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Definition
to labor, to toil
劳动 "Labor" (e.g., manual work);
勤劳 "Hardworking."
when weeds (艹) cover (冖) a field, a strong plow (力) for toiling will be needed |
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Term
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Definition
focused on a task
mission, task, affairs
任务 "Mission" or "task."; 公务 "Public affairs."
务实 "Pragmatic, practical" (lit. "focus on reality").
to be able to slowly move (夂) the plow (力) one needs to be focused on a task |
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Term
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Definition
to add, to increase
plus
二加二等于四 "2 + 2 = 4"; 加快 "speed up"; 加强 "strengthen"
power (力) of what is said (口) is increased by adding up words
Farmers using all their physical power into plowing (力) of the field, shouting or singing (口) from their mouth (口) add more power (力) to each push they need to give. |
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Term
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Definition
to drive; to harness a carriage
驾驶 "To drive" (cars, planes, etc.); 驾照 "Driver's license."
to powerfully (力) command (口) over a horse (马) while riding a carriage |
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Term
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Definition
<transliterator>
Used to politely reject something by words (口) when someone gives you something (加) – now used on transliteration of foreign words such as Coffee (咖啡). |
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Term
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Definition
to experience;
calendar
经历 "Experience" (lit. "to pass through");
历史 "History" (recorded traversals of time)
a factory (厂) produces excellent plows (力) because of the experience |
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Term
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Definition
flag, banner
a person with HIS squared flag |
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Term
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Definition
to travel, trip;
troop, military unit
flutter [y] + two people/follow [cong]
Picture of a person 方 with travel gears on his back ready for a trip (thus avoiding to be recruited in a military unit) |
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Term
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Definition
clan, ethnic group
家族 "Family clan."; 民族 "Ethnic group" or "nation."
部族 "Tribe" (historically, a martial division); 语族 "Language family."
Waving flag (㫃) and arrow (矢) signify war. When people are gathered under one flag (㫃) in a time of war, it means “ the people are from same tribe or clan of long generations sharing same culture and language.” |
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Term
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Definition
to swim/roam/travel
旅游 – tourism;
a water (氵) under the territory of a certain flag (㫃) is safe for children (子) to swim, roam, or travel |
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Term
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Definition
wealthy, rich,
abundant
富 combines the idea of a household (宀) with abundance (畐), giving the sense of "a wealthy home." |
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Term
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Definition
to fight, tussle
Traditional character (鬥) looks completely different. But it has the same sound, and is used to mean ‘fight.’ |
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Term
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Definition
branch of study
科目 "subject; category"; 科律 "regulations"
Sorting grain (禾) into measured (斗) categories;
Harvested rice (禾) is measured with a measuring scale (斗) and is divided to each purpose such as tax, rent, and distribution of seeds. Became to signify the unit of division in tasks or study |
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Term
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Definition
to expect, to anticipate
material, ingredient
资料 – "data" or "resources."
rice (米) scooped (斗) as an ingredient of Mikado chocolates |
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Term
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Definition
net(work)
Symbolizes a net to catch birds or fish. Sometimes changes shape to “罒” for visual appearance when combined with other characters. |
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Term
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Definition
ridge, crest of hill
Simplified form of 岡, a net of clouds over a mountain 山
A mountain (山) has ridges that connect one mountain to another just like a fishing net (网) is surrounded by a thicker edge or guide ropes. |
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Term
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Definition
firm, hard, strong; just
刚正 – "incorruptible"; 刚毅 – "fortitude"
a ridge (冈) could be cut with a knife (刂) with a firm and strong hand |
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Term
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Definition
steel, hard, firm
刚强 – "unyielding"; 不锈钢 – "stainless steel"
a metal (钅) strong as a ridge (冈) is like steel |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
to relax, to stretch
comfortable
As a flying shuttle (予) on a loom releases strings from a bundle, tensions are unwinded in a house (舍) so one can relax. |
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Term
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Definition
to finish; to know
了解 (liǎojiě) – "to understand" (lit. "finish-explaining")
了得 (liǎodé) – "remarkable" (originally "capable of finishing")
A checkmark (✓) → "completion." |
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Term
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Definition
clothes, clothing, dress
an upper-body dress with sleeves attached on a hanger |
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Term
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Definition
agriculture; farming
farmer
a wide-brimmed hat (冖) and long-sleeved clothes (衣) is what a farmer wears while he is working in agriculture |
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Term
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Definition
to give; and, with
to participate
TRAD 與 赠与 – "to donate."; 我与你 – "You and I."
参与 – "to take part in."
a shape of a hand offering something |
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Term
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Definition
to write
TRAD 寫 写作 – to write (creative/essay writing)
写字 – to write characters; 写信 (xiě xìn) – to write a letter
a common indoor (冖) activity is "to give" (与) knowledge on a paper by writing |
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Term
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Definition
west, west(ern),
westward
The "roof" of the nest, the bird’s wings folded inward (like 儿), and the nest opening; a bird is home when the sun sets in the west. |
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Term
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Definition
to want, to need
essential, important
on the west (⻃) women (女) want to be focused on what is essential |
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Term
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Definition
ticket; bill; ballot banknote
an ornamented sheet of paper covering from an altar is so valuable that it is used as a banknote |
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Term
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Definition
to float, to drift
water [shui] + written prayer/banknote (piao)
a water surface carrying a fluttering sacred banknote, which is floating away |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
shape, appearance
manner, kind
式样 "design"; 花样 – "pattern" (lit. "flower model"
a wooden frame (木) with sheep wool (羊) stretched over as a standardized pattern |
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Term
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Definition
to differ from, difference; to lack
to be short of;
to err, error
a sheep (羊) cannot do a good work (工) - just make erros |
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Term
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Definition
lamb
a baby sheep (羊) roasting and cooking over fire (灬) since the meat of a lamb is a high-quality food |
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Term
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Definition
cake
rice 米138[mǐ] + lamb 羔 [gāo]
This character depicts the image of offering rice cake (米) onto an alter like lamb (羔). |
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Term
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Definition
right, correct
so, thus, like that
果然 guǒrán, "indeed"; 然而 "However" ("thus + but")
meat (肉) of a dog (犬) burning on a fire (灬) because the sacrificial rituals were performed like that |
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Term
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Definition
utensil; tool, instrument, vessel
容器 – "container."; 器官 – "organ" (body's "tools")
Symbolizes the shape of plates (㗊) that held dog meat (犬) used in ceremonies and sacrifices. |
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Term
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Definition
double-mouth
A double-mouth radical, representing repeated sounds (like sobbing or wailing); 吅 is a variant of 口口, emphasizing loud or prolonged sounds |
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Term
者 / 读者 / 记者
zhe / duzhe / jizhe |
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Definition
the one who
(read)-er, (journal)-ist
old [lao] + sun (ri)
an old experienced person uses the sun-period for his daily ritual job |
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Term
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Definition
worm; insect
the original form depicted a viper (a snake with a triangular head), and snakes are menace to all kind of insects |
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Term
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Definition
alone, sole, unique
independent
a dog (犭) with a tapeworm (虫) in its intestines suffers alone |
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Term
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Definition
a pig, a boar
彘 (zhì) is another ancient word for pig, famously used in the idiom "狼奔豕突" ("like wolves running and pigs dashing")—meaning chaotic panic |
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Term
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Definition
home, family; -ist
家乡 Hometown;
科学家: Scientist (lit. "science-family expert"
Combination of house (宀) and pig (豕) - the quintessential "domestic animal" - which gives plentiful birth. It came to mean a family. This character shows a kind of Chinese humor in favor of prolificacy. |
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Term
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Definition
elephant;
image, shape
象牙 – Ivory; 形象 – Image/figure; 象征 – Symbol
印象 – impression; 现象 – phenomenon; 象素 – Pixel ("image element")
The trunk (⺈); The head/body (口); 豕 resembles the legs (though unrelated to the pig character 豕)
Also means shape as an elephant was more of an exotic imaginary creature to the people of the northern China; elephants are huge, memorable — so they also became symbols of appearance and image in abstract usage |
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Term
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Definition
image; be/look like
to resemble
Metaphor: 像…一样 "just like…";
a people (亻) sees an elephant (象) and carves an image, similar as the very character (象) resembles an elephant |
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Term
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Definition
item, component;
measure word for a piece or thing
文件 – Document/file; 零件 – Machine parts/components
A person (亻) handling a cow (牛) — that’s one “item” of work, or one “thing” to take care of |
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Term
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Definition
half, semi-
半杯水 "half a glass of water"; 半透明 "semi-transparent"
Signifies a cow (牛) which is being butchered and cut in half (八). |
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Term
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Definition
horn, angle, corner
角力 "wrestling" lit. "horn-power"; Geometry: 角度 "angle, degree"; 角色 "role/character," from the "horned" masks in ancient drama |
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Term
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Definition
to untie, to loosen
solve, understand;
separate
"To untie" (解開); "To separate" (分解); 解體 "To disintegrate"
"To explain" (解釋) - metaphorically "loosening" confusion
a cow (牛) is butchered by a knife (刀) and came into completely separate parts such as the meat, bones and even its horns (角). Also came to mean ‘understand’ by "dividing" everything into smaller parts. |
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Term
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Definition
to tell, to inform,
to announce
警告 "warning"; 告发 "to accuse"; 告诉 "to tell someone"
a mutilated cow (牛) tells (口) how it has lost its tail |
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Term
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Definition
to gather, to collect
集市 market (where people gather); 诗集 shījí, "poetry collection"
Just as birds (隹) on a tree gather, humans assemble for trade or community |
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Term
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Definition
to push
mother bird pushes her young with a wing to see if it is ready to leave the nest; or a hand pushes the birds |
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Term
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Definition
difficult, hard
hand/again (you) + bird (zhui)
for a bird to use its wings as hands is very difficult and hard |
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Term
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Definition
who, whom
你是谁 – Who are you?; 无论谁 "whoever"; 谁知道呢 "Who knows?"
a typical speech (讠) of a bird (隹) like an owl is who? who? |
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Term
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Definition
to allow, to permit
standard, norm;
accurate, precise
基准 "benchmark"; 标准 An established measure; 准则 "norms"
a solidity of ice (冫) combined with preciseness (directional accuracy) of birds (隹) flight, gives us accurate and modern standards |
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Term
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Definition
only, just; single;
形单影只 "lonely with just one shadow"
a mouth (口), instead of eight (八) unconvincing excuses, should provide JUST a SINGLE justification |
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Term
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Definition
to weave, to knit
组织 "to organize" → lit. "weave a structure"
silk threads (纟) is JUST (只) what one needs for weaving or knitting |
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Term
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Definition
to know/recognize
knowledge
识字 to read/literacy; 知识 knowledge; 识别 to distinguish, to identify
words (讠) are JUST (只) enough to recognize or to know how eloquent one is |
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Term
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Definition
bird
Symbolizes a bird with a long tail, beak and legs. |
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Term
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Definition
chicken, hen
another (又) kind of a bird (鸟) is a chicken;
Signifies a bird (鸟) caught in hand (又), or domesticated – i.e. Chickens. |
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Term
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Definition
cry
Signifies a bird (鸟) crying with its beak (口). This character is used to mean cry of birds, animals or insects. |
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Term
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Definition
mountain
Represents a mountain with summit and ridges in different heights. |
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Term
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Definition
an island, an isle
a bird (鸟) standing on a top of a mountain (山) isolated as an an island |
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Term
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Definition
auxiliary verb
Used as a postpositional particle to form a question, in a sense that a high tone (马) is formed when speaking (口) a question. Try to imagine a high-pitched sound of a horse as the question (马) mark.
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Term
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Definition
mother (informal),
mom, mommy
a woman (女) with a horse “马” (as pronunciation guide) forms mom |
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Term
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Definition
to add, to increase
plus
二加二等于四 "2 + 2 = 4"; 加快 "speed up"; 加强 "strengthen"
power (力) of what is said (口) is increased by adding up words
Farmers using all their physical power into plowing (力) of the field, shouting or singing (口) from their mouth (口) add more power (力) to each push they need to give. |
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Term
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Definition
to drive; to harness a carriage
驾驶 "To drive" (cars, planes, etc.); 驾照 "Driver's license."
to powerfully (力) command (口) over a horse (马) while riding a carriage |
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Term
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Definition
odd, strange
a person who can do strange things |
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Term
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Definition
ride (animal or bike)
horse (ma) + strange (qi)
a man rides a horse to see odd and strange places |
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Term
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Definition
to test, to verify
all the people are testing the horses by making them run and jump |
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Term
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Definition
to chirp, to twitter
old form of 噪, chirping of birds |
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Term
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Definition
to hold, to operate
to exercise, to drill
操刀 "wield a knife"; 操练 "to drill/train", originally military exercises
操作 "to operate" machinery or systems; 操劳 "to work hard"
操心 "to worry", lit. "exercise the heart"
Imagine a hand (扌) gripping a rifle while soldiers chant (喿) in unison during drills. |
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Term
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Definition
to bathe, to wash
澡盆 "bathtub"; 澡身浴德 "cleanse body and cultivate virtue" – a classical self-improvement phrase
a water (氵) + the chirping (喿) sound from a tree (木) while taking a bath. Birds are known to keep a high standard of hygiene. |
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Term
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Definition
welcome; to meet
look up/I (ang) + go [chuo]
going toward a much looked up and respected guest to meet him and welcome him |
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Term
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Definition
I, me; to raise
to look up
In ancient usage, 卬 meant to raise one's head (e.g., 仰望 to look up), implying active engagement |
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Term
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Definition
seal; stamp, imprint
hand/claw (zhao) + kneel/person (jie)
a hand pressing down on a kneeling figure was an image on a seal or a stamp, which a ruler would imprint on his orders |
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Term
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Definition
4th sign of zodiac
a type of mortise joint in carpentry
two opposing characters symbolizing
Dawn (5–7 AM), the "Mao" hour (卯时) when night splits into day |
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Term
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Definition
to stay; to detain
to keep/preserve
study abroad
puddle/4th (mao) + field (tian)
come in the field as early as 卯 and stay working to keep the chances to study abroad |
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Term
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Definition
not, non-, wrong
非官方 "Unofficial" (lit. "not official"); 是非 – "right and wrong.
非议 – to criticize or disapprove (lit. “not approving words”)
非传统 non-traditional; 非法 illegal; 非人类 non-human
Symbolizes a bird spreading its wings wide; each wing, when spread out, will not meet the other wing. Therefore it is used as negation. |
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Term
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Definition
to arrange / line up
to reject / exclude
a row, series
排挤 to squeeze out; to ostracize; 前排 front row
排版 typesetting/layout
a hand (扌) handles what is wrong (非) by rejecting or arranging it |
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Term
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Definition
<transliterator>
Originally meant to ‘signify’ snoring, which is an uncomfortable (非) sound (口) made during sleep. Now used as a transliterator to write words from foreign languages such as coffee (咖啡)., or morphine (吗啡) |
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Term
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Definition
他不是医生。 He is not a doctor. (neutral statement)
他无医生执照。He has no doctor’s license. (absence)
他非法行医。He illegally practices medicine. (categorical opposition) |
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Term
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Definition
feather, wing
Symbolizes a bird with its wings raised high to show its feathers. |
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Term
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Definition
to practice
to study, to learn
simplified form of 習; Symbolizes a baby bird practicing to fly so hard that its two wings (羽) become looking like one (习). |
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Term
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Definition
to take turns, a turn
number of times
foreign, barbarian
inspecting and separating (釆) the rows one by one while walking across the fields (田), — marking each turn or round of inspection. That’s 番. |
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Term
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Definition
to turn/flip (over); rummaging
to translate
翻飞 fluttering wings; 推翻 overthrow; 翻看 re-examine
翻书 flip pages; 翻译 to translate (lit. turn and exchange)
a number of times (番) to flap with wings (羽) resulting in turned over as it flaps from top to bottom. |
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Term
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Definition
to fly; fast
飞快 extremely fast, "lightning fast"; 飞祸 sudden disaster
a simplified form of 飛; Symbolizes a big bird flying above with its wings wide open.
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Term
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Definition
to take turns, a turn
number of times
foreign, barbarian
inspecting and separating (釆) the rows one by one while walking across the fields (田), — marking each turn or round of inspection. That’s 番. |
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Term
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Definition
to distinguish
丿 (a stroke) + 米 ("rice") Symbolizing picking out grains from husks
Symbolizes a footprint, which can be used to distinguish what the animal was by looking at it.
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Term
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Definition
feather, wing
Symbolizes a bird with its wings raised high to show its feathers. |
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Term
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Definition
to turn/flip (over); rummaging
to translate
翻飞 fluttering wings; 推翻 overthrow; 翻看 re-examine
翻书 flip pages; 翻译 to translate (lit. turn and exchange)
a number of times (番) to flap with wings (羽) resulting in turned over as it flaps from top to bottom. |
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Term
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Definition
to sow / scatter / spread
to broadcast
传播 To propagate (ideas, news); 直播 Live stream (lit. direct sowing)
Hand (扌) cyclically (番) scattering things over rows for sowing seeds, spreading info, broadcasting. |
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Term
|
Definition
foot; a piece/roll
do not confuse it with 'right' 正 - the added stroke is for the knee (to the end of the 'foot') |
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Term
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Definition
clear, distinct;
pain, suffering
凄楚 bleak, sorrowful; 酸楚 Heartache
一清二楚 crystal clear
to walk through lush, forested environment brings clear pain and suffering to feet |
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Term
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Definition
insect, bug, worm
the original form depicted a viper (with a triangular head) - and snakes are a menace for all kind of insects |
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Term
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Definition
egg
only the feet of an insect can walk on eggs without breaking them |
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Term
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Definition
worm; insect
the original form depicted a viper (a snake with a triangular head), and snakes are menace to all kind of insects |
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Term
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Definition
(al)though
雖死猶生 Though dead, still as if alive (idiom); 雖然 although (modern)
Life, symbolized by mouth (口), is written together with insect (虫), to mean that life should not be disregarded even though it is only a life of an insect. |
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Term
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Definition
fish
Head (⺈), body (田) and tail (一) are combined together to form a fish. |
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Term
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Definition
fresh, delicious
海鲜 seafood; 寡廉鲜耻 shameless
Fish (鱼) and lamb (羊) together? When it's fresh it's delicious |
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Term
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Definition
to fish, fisherman
渔猎 "Fishing and hunting" (ancient livelihood); 渔船 "Fishing boat."
渔利 "to profit at others' expense" (like "fishing for gains");
渔业 "fishing industry."
the waters (氵) with a lot of fish (鱼) are great for fishing |
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Term
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Definition
5th; time, day,
7-9 am
生辰 birth time/date; 辰光 time/moment
Originally depicted a stone farming tool (possibly a spade or plow blade),
digging into the earth at dawn (7–9 AM), marking the start of a day's labor — that connection to time, routine, and cycles is at the heart of 辰.
used to mark planting seasons |
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Term
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Definition
(early) morning, dawn, daybreak
早晨 early morning; 晨练 morning exercise
the sun (日) just beginning (7-9 am) to shine over the earth as a plow (辰) breaks the soil — that's 晨, the early morning |
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Term
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Definition
to shake,
to rise, to stir up
振兴 to revitalize (e.g., a nation or tradition); 振德 to uplift virtue
振臂 to raise one’s arm (in protest or cheer);
振兴中华 "Revitalize China" (patriotic slogan)
to manually (扌) push a farming tool (辰) to stir up energy |
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Term
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Definition
to bear/carry/owe
负重 To carry a heavy load. 负担 Burden (emotional, financial)
负债 To owe debt. 辜负 To betray. (lit. "fail to bear") 负债率 Debt ratio.
欺负 to bully (originally "to take advantage of someone's burden")
Symbolizes a person (⺈) bearing a sack of money (贝) on his back. |
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Term
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Definition
thorn, prickle
to prick, to stab
something sharp sticking out |
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Term
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Definition
responsibility, duty
to blame/reproach
债务 Debt (financially); 责任 Responsibility (abstract duty)
责备 "To reprimand" (lit. "demand explanation")
债权人 creditor 负责 To be responsible (负 carry + 责 duty)
the sting (朿) of money (贝) debt creates responsibility
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Term
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Definition
merit; accomplishment
achievement; grade
成绩 result, grade, performance (e.g., in school);
业绩 business performance, professional achievements.
weaving silk (糸) diligently under the pressure of responsibility (责) — and the beautiful cloth they produce represents their tangible achievement (绩). |
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Term
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Definition
expensive, costly precious, valuable
贵重物品 valuable items; 贵族 aristocracy/nobility
(中) + (一) represents the central importance of what is valued (贝) at the core, thus making it valuable |
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Term
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Definition
to pierce, to string
to pass through
贯彻 to implement thoroughly; 一贯 consistent; 一贯作风 consistent style
贯通 to master thoroughly;
Signifies a bundle of coins (贝) created by passing through (毌) a piece of thread through the hole in the middle. |
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Term
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Definition
to be used to
to be accustomed to
to indulge, to spoil
惯性 "inertia" (physics) or "habitual tendency."
娇惯 "to pamper" (repetitive indulgence)
惯用 "Customary" e.g., 惯用手法 "usual tactics"
惯犯 "Repeat offender" (habitual crime)
through the heart (忄) something passes through (贯) a feeling or action that becomes habitual or second nature |
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Term
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Definition
tripod
鼎盛 "At the height of power" (like a cauldron at full boil)
鼎立 "Tripartite balance"; 人声鼎沸 meaning "a cacophony of voices" (lit. "like a boiling cauldron")
鼎言 "Weighty words" (as authoritative as a royal cauldron)
Picture a big, ancient bronze pot with three sturdy legs and two handles, sitting in a temple, radiating power — that’s a 鼎, symbol of ancient might and respect. |
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Term
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Definition
to be defeated, to lose
to destroy, to ruin
to decay, to wither
失败 to fail/be defeated (lit. "lose + destroy");
败北 to suffer defeat (北 běi implies "fleeing north" in battle)
腐败 corruption; decay (腐 fǔ rot, 败 breakdown); 败德 moral degradation
击败 to defeat (an enemy); 败诉 to lose a lawsuit
precious shells (贝) smashed (攵) represents defeat and destruction |
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Term
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Definition
member, personnel
staff member
人员 personnel; 员工 staff/employee; 会员 member; 队员 team member
to get the right to speak a mouth (口) should first pay (贝) a membership fee to become a member (员) of a club |
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Term
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Definition
round, circle
圆形 circular shape; 圆满 satisfactory/completion
团圆 family reunion (lit. "circle together" = reunited, complete family
A person (员) inside a circle (囗) → something round, enclosed, or whole |
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Term
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Definition
hair, fur, feather
眉毛 eyebrows; 羊毛 wool; 毛糙 rough;
毛毛雨 drizzle (lit. hairy rain); 毛主席 Chairman Mao
Refers to any type of hair, be it human, animals, plants or even on fruits. Also used as unit of currency in modern China. (1毛 = 1/10元73) |
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Term
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Definition
pen(cil)
writing brush
毛笔 Calligraphy brush (lit. hair pen); 铅笔 pencil (lit. lead brush)
圆珠笔 ballpoint pen; 笔记 notes; 笔名 pen name
a bamboo (竹) straw with animal hair (毛) at the tip, symbolizes a brush for writing, now used to refer to any writing tools including pen and pencil. |
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Term
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Definition
at all, in the least
fine hair
丝毫 The slightest bit; 毫厘 "A tiny difference" (used in idioms like 失之毫厘，谬以千里, "A minimal error leads to massive deviation"
毫米 Millimeter" (lit. "hair-meter," reflecting its tiny scale; 毫克 Milligram
Symbolizes fine and long (高) hair (毛), also used to mean not in the least – a negation to stress something even like a fine hair is not there at all. |
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Term
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Definition
skin, hide
outer covering
皮革 leather; 皮肤 skin; 苹果皮 apple peel; 地皮 land surface
a hanging animal stripped by a hand 又 because of its skin |
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Term
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Definition
quilt, blanket;
<passive indicator> by
If you wear clothes (衤) made with animals skins (皮), you look like you are swathed in a blanket; the dead animal was stripped of its skin BY the human beings.
The subject that appears in front of “被” is a recipient of the action that follows |
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Term
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Definition
to break, to split
to defeat
破敌 to crush the enemy; 破阵 to break enemy formations;
破例 to make an exception (lit. break the rule); 破碎 shattered;
破解 to crack/decode e.g., passwords; 破纪录 break a record
a stone (石) goes through an animal skin splitting it |
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Term
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Definition
shoes;
footwear in general
鞋店 "shoe store"
穿小鞋 "to make life hard for someone," lit. "to wear tight shoes"
Officers and servants who are given the insignia tablet (圭) from the king could wear leather (革) shoes |
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Term
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Definition
(soft) leather
韦布 Coarse leather clothing (symbolizing humility)
韦弦 Leather and strings (metaphor for self-discipline)
an abundance (丰) of tanned, processed, and neatly wrapped (⊃) soft skins |
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Term
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Definition
great, mighty,
extraordinary
伟大 great (used for ideals, leaders, or deeds);
伟人 great person (e.g., historical giant)
雄伟 majestic (describing mountains or architecture)
伟业 great undertaking; 壮伟 magnificent / imposing
A superhero (亻) wearing a leather (韦) cape looks mighty |
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Term
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Definition
to surround, to encircle
to enclose / fence in
enclosure
围攻 to besiege (encircling a city); 围城 besieged city
围栏 fence; 围绕 to revolve around (abstract)
a fence (囗) around a precious piece of leather (韦) encircles it to protect it |
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Term
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Definition
to violate / disobey
to separate; to go against
违背 to violate (a rule or promise); 违法 illegal (lit. "against the law")
违约 to breach a contract; 违规 to break regulations
to walk (⻌) with leather (韦) banners violating the curfew and going against the authorities |
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Term
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Definition
horn; angle
角度 angle (math/physics); 三角 triangle; 鹿角 deer antlers;
角色 role (in a play/movie); 口角 quarrel (lit. "mouth corners"
a person takes a measuring tool for checking the angle of a horn |
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Term
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Definition
to untie, to loosen
solve, understand;
separate
"To untie" (解開); "To separate" (分解); 解體 "To disintegrate"
"To explain" (解釋) - metaphorically "loosening" confusion
horns (角) are cut off with a knife (刀) from a cow (牛) to separate the toughest part and to try understand it how strong it is |
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Term
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Definition
certain, sure, firm
准确 accurate/precise; 确认 to confirm
a stone (石) for testing horns (角) to be sure and certain how firm they are |
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Term
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Definition
mouth, beak
鸟嘴 bird’s beak; 多嘴 talkative;
闭嘴 shut up (lit. close mouth)
嘴硬 stubborn (lit. “mouth hard” – refuses to admit fault)
a mouth (口) and a beak (觜) are almost the same |
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Term
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Definition
beak
THIS (此) sharp horn (角) from a bird is its beak |
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Term
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Definition
government;
prefecture; official mansion
政府 government; 府邸 official residence, mansion;
大使府 embassy (lit. ambassador’s office)
a big building under which officials assign tasks and hand over documents and fees belongs to government |
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Term
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Definition
to rot/decay; corrupt
腐烂 to rot, to decay; 腐败 corruption (like in politics);
the government is the center of power, and when meat is offered as a bribe, it is a sign of decay and corruption |
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Term
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Definition
friend; companion
亲朋好友 relatives and close friends
Two similar-sized fish (肉) are tied together to form a two-row bundle of fish, representing people who share similar ideas becoming friends. |
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Term
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Definition
to raise, to nurture
to educate
培育 to cultivate, foster (plants/talents)
生育 to give birth to and raise
Earliest Form: Depicted a child (子) upside-down, symbolizing childbirth; The inverted 子 represented the baby during delivery.
a new born child's (子 upside-down) flesh needs to be nourished, raised and later educated |
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Term
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Definition
face, cheek;
fig. reputation
他板着脸。"He pulled a long face.";
变脸 to suddenly change expression
丢脸 – to lose face (be humiliated)
给脸 to give someone respect (lit. give face)
the moon always shows to all the very same face |
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Term
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Definition
brain
脑海 mind / imagination (lit. “brain sea”)
动脑筋 to use your brain / think hard; 脑力 mental power
头疼脑热 minor illnesses (lit. headache, brain fever)
flesh (肉) that is placed and protected behind a fontanel (亠 + 凶) is brain |
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Term
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Definition
fat, plump, chubby
胖子 a fat person (colloquial, can be pejorative;
肥胖 obesity (clinical term); 胖乎乎 chubby (affectionate, often for babies)
When your flesh (⺼) looks like half (半) a person’s size, you’re fat (胖 )! |
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Term
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Definition
to pile up, accumulate,
grouped soldiers |
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Term
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Definition
to chase / pursue
追忆 to reminisce (lit. chase memories); 追赶 to chase after;
追求 to pursue (goals, love)
追求真理 seek truth; 追债 debt collection
going (辶) after a fetish (追) in pursue of happiness |
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Term
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Definition
official
官员 official, civil servant; 官方 official (as in government-approved)
官僚 bureaucracy / bureaucrat; 警察官 police officer
感官 sensory organs; 器官 organ (biological)
under a roof (宀) of order (㠯) officials execute their duties |
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Term
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Definition
a building for public use
学馆 private schools; 茶馆 tea houses (social hubs)
博物馆 museum (treasure hall); 美术馆 art museum
A place where food (饣) is served under official (官) supervision — like a guest house or official dining hall |
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Term
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Definition
quadruped track
footprints
禽 "Birds" or "capture" (historically depicted with a net trapping animals, linked to footprints)
Originally depicted "the mark of a beast's foot" (e.g., in hunting contexts), or footprints of animals. |
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Term
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Definition
ominous, fierce
disastrous
a pit trap (凵) with crossed marks (㐅 or 乂) inside, representing a snare or dangerous cavity, thus becoming a symbol for something ominous |
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Term
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Definition
to leave, to depart
距离 distance (space of separation); 离婚 divorce (to leave marriage)
分离 to separate; 离…远 / 离…近 – far from / close to
离谱 unreasonable (lit. off the musical score" i.e., deviating from norms)
one must cover (亠) the ominous (凶) footprints (禸) otherwise everybody will leave in panic |
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Term
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Definition
place far away
a region, district
a kind of monkey
禺谷 Poetic term for "sunset" (from mythology);
禺强 a sea god with a fish-monkey form
a field covered with footprints in a distant region |
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Term
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Definition
to meet/encounter
遇见 to meet by chance; 机遇 opportunity (lit. lucky encounter);
遭遇 to encounter (often adversity);
偶遇 serendipitous meeting (positive);
遇难 to perish in an accident (negative, lit. encounter disaster)
To walk (辶) and come across a mysterious monkey (禺), thus meeting a mythical creature |
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Term
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Definition
ten thousand, 10.000; myriad
TRAD 萬; 十万 100,000; 万能 omnipotent (lit. "ten thousand abilities")
万一 "one in ten thousand" → "just in case" (e.g., 万一下雨 in case it rains)
万岁 "long live!" (lit. "ten thousand years," a traditional cheer for emperors)
when the character for 'direction' (方) loses the stroke (丶), the disorientation makes it difficult to choose among 10.000 directions |
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Term
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Definition
year, years old
岁月 Years and months (time’s passage)
岁月不饶人。Time waits for no one.
to reach the top of the mountain (山) till the transition period between day and evening (夕) takes years of preparations |
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Term
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Definition
valley; grain
谷物 Grains; 五谷丰登 Bumper harvest (lit. five grains abundant)
峡谷 Canyon; 低谷 Low point (metaphorical, e.g., in life)
A split (八) in the earth with a mouth (口) as the entrance in a valley ( 谷) |
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Term
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Definition
to contain, to hold
to allow / tolerate
countenance , appearance
容纳 to accommodate, to hold; 容忍 to tolerate, to endure;
内容 content; 笑容 smile (facial expression)
The 宀 suggests an enclosed space, while 谷 may imply a hollow or spacious area, like a valley, where the things are contained; |
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Term
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Definition
custom, common practice
vulgar, secular
风俗 traditions; 世俗 worldly, secular;
庸俗 vulgar (moral/cultural shallowness); 俗气 vulgar (aesthetic tackiness)
a human (亻) behavior, which is widespread and low-lying (谷), thus becoming common among the masses |
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Term
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Definition
to use
费用 – "cost"
Symbolizes the shape of a traditional basket which can be conveniently used for containing things or agricultural crops.
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Term
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Definition
passage, corridor
a basket/bell with a handle |
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Term
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Definition
(to go/pass) through
to connect
通信 – "to correspond" (letters passing between people)
精通 – "to be proficient" (knowledge flowing without blocks)
Wind can pass through (辶) the holes of mesh basket (甬). |
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Term
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Definition
just (now)
A hand (扌) came to a field 田 to put in a soil (±) a single seed (丶) just now |
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Term
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Definition
to catch, to seize
to arrest
捕捉 – "to catch" (animals, criminals)
a hand (扌) reaches just on time (甫) to catch a seed (丶) |
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Term
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Definition
teacher, tutor
太傅 "Grand Mentor"
a person (亻) who just (甫) spreads (尃) the seeds (´) of knowledge as a teacher |
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Term
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Definition
grapes
This character illustrates the image of a grape vine which is covered by its creeping (勹) vines (艹) with many (甫) fruits hanging on them. |
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Term
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Definition
pottery
酒缶 – "wine jar"; 缶尊 – "ceramic ritual cup"
This character symbolizes a pottery which is used to contain liquid. Its belly is a bit bulged and has a small mouth. The container was used, in ancient times, as a percussion instrument. |
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Term
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Definition
grape
image of making wine in pottery (缶). The wine is made from clusters of grapes grown in a grapevine covered with its creeping (勹) vines (艹). |
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Term
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Definition
pain, ache
sick [chuang] + mesh bag (yong)
a bell rings the alarm inside a sick man with an acute pain |
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Term
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Definition
receptacle (spremnik)
A character with variable interpretations, which can either mean an open mouth bowl or an open-top vessel. |
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Term
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Definition
stop, halt
the foot that stopped its movement waiting |
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Term
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Definition
to go/come out
出版 "to publish"; 出色 "outstanding," lit. "to stand out in color"
The stacked 山 (mountain) radicals imply repeated movement (e.g., climbing out);
it signifies the symbol of feet (止) walking out of a hut (凵). |
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Term
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Definition
stone, rock
under a cliff there is a block of stone |
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Term
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Definition
foundation, base
基础知识 – "basic knowledge"
a stone (石), upon which everything else comes out (出) is called the foundation stone |
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Term
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Definition
to draw, to paint
a picture
TRAD 畫; 计划 "plan," lit. "calculated lines"
a horizon (一 ) above a field (田) on a canvas (凵) as a drawing or a painting of a map |
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Term
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Definition
now (moment or time), this
hereby, herewith
(ovim, uz ovo)
兹事体大 this is a serious matter
this tiny root and this small root |
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Term
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Definition
magnetic
磁铁 magnet; 磁力 magnetic force;
磁性 magnetism, magnetic property
a stone (石) with this so tiny (幺幺) magnetic threads |
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Term
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Definition
foundation, base
基础知识 – "basic knowledge"
a stone (石), upon which everything else comes out (出) is called the foundation stone |
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Term
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Definition
to combine, merge
to unite,
side by side; also
a simplified form of 並, two men 竝 standing
Two people (丷) standing side by side (丨丨) under one roof (一) = (merged) 并 (united) |
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Term
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Definition
to break, to split
to defeat
破敌 to crush the enemy; 破阵 to break enemy formations;
破例 to make an exception (lit. break the rule); 破碎 shattered;
破解 to crack/decode e.g., passwords; 破纪录 break a record
a stone (石) goes through an animal skin splitting it |
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Term
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Definition
certain, sure, firm
准确 accurate/precise; 确认 to confirm
a stone (石) for testing horns (角) to be sure and certain how firm they are |
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Term
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Definition
level, even, to balance
formed by doubling of 干, symbolizing balance and alignment |
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Term
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Definition
to grind, to polish
to research
研究 to research (lit. to grind and examine); 研讨 to discuss and study
using a stone (石) tool to level (幵) the surface by grinding and polishing, metaphorically extending to mental refinement through researching |
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Term
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Definition
to touch; to bump into, to collide,
to encounter
碰到桌子 bump into a table; 碰到 to run into (physically or by chance); 碰见 to meet unexpectedly; 碰撞 collision
碰运气 to try one’s luck (give it a shot, lit. touch luck)
two stones (石) simultaneously (並) coming into contact by bumping into each other |
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Term
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Definition
class, team, shift
group, squad
班级 class (in school); 夜班 night shift
上班 to go to work (lit. join the work shift); 下班 to get off work
king cuts a jade with his knife into several classes to give to his favorite squads and teams |
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Term
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Definition
to play, have fun
玩耍 to play (used for children or leisurely activities)
玩弄 to toy with"(e.g., someone's feelings);
kings (玉) from the very beginning (元) liked to play with toys made of jade |
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Term
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Definition
to seek, to request
to demand, ask for
请求 to request; 追求 to pursue (like a goal or person);
求仁得仁。Seek virtue, and you will attain it.
a hand (寸) has trouble to grasp water (水) asks for help |
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Term
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Definition
ball, sphere, globe
乒乓球 ping pong ball; 地球 (lit. ground sphere)
气球 balloon (inflatable sphere); 月球 moon (celestial sphere)
星球 celestial body / planet
King (王) demands the best quality jade (玉) for making perfect spheres, like beads or orbs, later for balls or globes |
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Term
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Definition
gold, metal; money
黄金 gold; 金属 metal; 铁 iron = 金 + 失; 银 silver = 金 +艮
现金 cash
Molten metal (丷) poured into a mold (王+土) |
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Term
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Definition
lead
铅中毒 lead poisoning; 铅心 heavy heart (poetic)
a metal, which children used to put in mouth - lead toy-soldiers
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Term
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Definition
former(ly), past
ancient times, the past
今昔 past and present; 昔年 years gone by
bellow the grass and the horizon is the sun - placed underground to point toward the past times |
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Term
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Definition
error, blunder, mistake, wrong
交错 crisscrossed; 对错 right and wrong
to create a metal relying on the techniques from the past would be wrong |
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Term
失 / 矢 / 夫
shi / shi / tian |
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Definition
to lose, to miss
to make mistake
《孙子兵法》 (Art of War) 失地则亡 Lose territory, and you perish.
失望 – to lose hope → “disappointed"
a man (夫) has just one (⁄) missing the other one, thus losing his stability and making him prone to make mistakes |
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Term
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Definition
iron
钢铁 steel; 铁心 iron will
铁人 iron man (a resilient person)
a metal (钅) you’d never want to lose (失) because it’s so useful - the iron! |
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Term
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Definition
large, long river
长江 (Cháng Jiāng) – Yangtze River (China's longest river)
江水 river water; 江边 riverbank;
A powerful flow of water (氵) that cuts through the land like a tool (工) — that’s a 江, a great river shaping everything around it |
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Term
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Definition
reason, logic
(inner) principle
理想 ideal; 合理 reasonable; 真理 truth
理论 theory; 定理 theorem; 物理 physics (lit. things' principles)
心理 psychology (mind principles)
Jade artisans examines the veins in jade to reveal hidden patterns inside - just as a king seeks reason and logic to efficiently rule over many villages |
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Term
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Definition
water
水流 water flow; 水滴 water drop; 水分子 water molecule;
喝水 to drink water; 滴水穿石 dripping water pierces stone
a visual and conceptual archetype of fluidity, symbolizes water by representing water flowing in rivers (水). |
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Term
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Definition
forever, eternal
永远 forever; 永恒 eternity; 永无止境 endless; 永别 a final farewell
A single drop (丶) enters (一) a stream of water (水) that runs forever — that’s 永: the symbol of eternal movement |
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Term
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Definition
to swim
游泳 swimming (literally: to swim + swim); 自由泳 freestyle swimming
泳装 swimsuit (commercial/formal); 泳衣 swimsuit (casual/personal)
You’re in the water (氵), making smooth flowing movements like the never-ending (永) motion of waves — that’s swimming |
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Term
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Definition
fountain, spring
泉水 spring water; 温泉 hot spring; 源泉 source of knowledge
a pure white (白) water (水) bubbling from the ground — that's a spring (泉): fresh, clean, and natural |
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Term
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Definition
origin(al), source
plain
原子 atom – lit. original seed; 高原 plateau; 平原 plain;
原件 original document; 原因 cause, reason;
on a high cliff (厂) there is a spring (泉) as a source of fresh and pure water |
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Term
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Definition
to wish, to hope
desire
愿望 wish/aspiration; 心愿 a heartfelt wish; 许愿 to make a wish
自愿 voluntary (lit. self-wished; sacrificial willingness);
情愿 willingly (general willingness; preference)
what originates (原) from the heart (心) is the urge to wish, to hope, and to desire |
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Definition
to flow, to drift
流水 flowing water; 河流 river, stream; 流动 to move, to circulate
流行 popular, trending (what’s “flowing” through society);
潮流 trend/tide (lit. tidal flow); 流血 to bleed; 流浪 to roam;
“㐬[liú],” which symbolizes a child playing in flowing water, is not used by itself. Therefore water (氵) is added to restore the original meaning of water flowing. |
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Definition
a faction, school (of thought)
to dispatch, send
Symbolizes small branch rivers separating (symbol) from the main stream (氵), which came to mean factions or the act of dispatching someone to another place. |
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Definition
deep, profound
深水 deep water; 水很深 the water is deep;
深刻 profound; deeply felt; 深情 deep affection; 深信 to firmly believe
深度 depth (literal/figurative); 深夜 late at night (lit. deep night)
a stream of water (氵) flowing into a hole (穴) with a big depth (罙 ), thus creating a deep cave (穴);
water's (氵) depth (罙 ) is deep |
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Definition
juice, sap
果汁 fruit juice; 汁液 sap; liquid extract; 肉汁 meat juice, gravy
墨汁 ink; 血液汁 blood plasma;
a water (氵) being pressed (一) and squeezed (丨) 10 times (十) from a fruit to get a juice (氵) |
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Definition
flowing hair
琉璃 colored glaze/glass; 硫磺 sulfur; 鎏金 gold-coated
to fill 充 with () so much (the additional middle stroke ι) that it looks like it just flows |
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Term
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Definition
to fill, to be full of
to act as, serve as
充满 to fill up; 充当 to serve as;
充足 sufficient; 冒充 to impersonate;
充电 to recharge (lit. fill electricity); 充分 fully; ample
under a roof (亠) of authority a shaman (with his long hair and a hat 充) approves (允) the sacrifices and act as intermediary for gods to fulfill the wishes of people |
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Definition
to probe or measure depth
a cave probed with a piece of wood to measure its depth |
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Definition
water
A different form of “water 水 [shuǐ]” which is used only in combination with other characters. Occurrence is rare. |
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Term
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Definition
to record, to write down
to copy
录取 to admit/enroll (someone into school; lit. select and record)
目录 catalog (lit. "eye-records); 录用 to hire (lit. "record and employ)
a hand (彐) lets the ink (水) flow while writing down and recording information |
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Definition
green
thread 纟 [sī] + record 录203a[lù]
threads (纟) used to create a filter for passing water and extracting green algae for dying silk (纟) |
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Definition
ball, sphere, globe
乒乓球 ping pong ball; 地球 (lit. ground sphere)
气球 balloon (inflatable sphere); 月球 moon (celestial sphere)
星球 celestial body / planet
King (王) demands the best quality jade (玉) for making perfect spheres, like beads or orbs, later for balls or globes |
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Definition
gas; air; breathe
TRAD 氣 氧 oxygen; 天然气 natural gas; 蒸气 steam
气质 temperament (lit. Qi quality); 勇气 courage (lit. brave energy)
元气 vital energy
Picture of a person blowing air |
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Definition
to fly; fast
飞快 extremely fast, "lightning fast"; 飞祸 sudden disaster
a simplified form of 飛; Symbolizes a big bird flying above with its wings wide open. |
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Term
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Definition
steam, vapor, gas
汽化 vaporization; 蒸汽机 steam engine; 汽船 steamship;
汽油 gasoline (gas + oil); 公交汽车 public bus
Water (氵) turning into air (气) like steam or vapor |
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Term
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Definition
snow, snowy
to wipe away shame
下雪 to snow; 大雪 heavy snow; 暴风雪 blizzard
滑雪 skiing; 雪耻 to avenge shame (lit. wash with snow);
a form of rain (雨) that can be touched by hand (⺕) is snow |
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Term
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Definition
zero; 0; fragment
rain (yu) + order/command (ling)
god orders that the raindrops should fall dawn in the shape of zeros |
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Definition
need
rain (yu) + beard/and (er)
voice of the leader wishing for rain heard through the beard out of need of water |
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Term
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Definition
ice
凍 freeze; 冷 cold
a frozen (冫) water (水) is ice |
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Definition
cold; cold-hearted
冷淡 indifferent, cold (attitude); 冷漠 cold and detached
很冷 very cold; 冰冷 ice-cold (literally and emotionally)
寒冷 freezing cold; 冷汗 cold sweat (from fear or shock)
冷静 calm, cool-headed (lit. cold + quiet)
an "icy" order is cold or cold-hearted |
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Term
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Definition
to allow, to permit
standard, norm;
accurate, precise
基准 "benchmark"; 标准 An established measure; 准则 "norms"
a solidity of ice (冫) combined with preciseness (directional accuracy) of birds (隹) flight, gives us accurate and modern standards |
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Term
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Definition
grass, plants
艹 is the simplified/abbreviated version used as a radical, often found at the top of characters |
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Term
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Definition
cold, chilly, wintry
寒冷 frigid; 寒冬 winter; 怕寒 sensitive to cold;
寒门 impoverished family; 寒酸 shabby; 寒假 winter vacation
寒舍 my humble home;
a house (宀) covered with dried grass (茻; two 艹 radicals) to ward off ice (冫) and cold |
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Term
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Definition
to stuff/plug/block
frontier, fortress
塞住 to clog; 塞车 traffic jam; 边塞 border fortress;
闭塞 isolated (lit. blocked and narrow);
a house (宀) reinforced with the mixture of hays (茻) and clay (土) to fill in the gaps and holes and to build a fortress |
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Term
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Definition
to compete, to contend
competition, contest
比赛 competition; 赛车 car race; 足球赛 soccer match
赛过 to outdo someone
in a house (宀 ) a huge amount of hay (two 艹 radicals) is pilled up to win a money-reward ((贝)) in a competition for the best plant-warehouse |
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Definition
winter
冬季 winter season; 寒冬 frigid winter
walk slowly on the ice during the winter |
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Term
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Definition
pain, ache;
to love dearly
头疼 headache; 肚子疼 stomachache; 牙疼 toothache
心疼 literally “heart hurts,” but can mean to feel distressed or care deeply for someone (emotionally painful)
winter sickness often brings a dull ache and a mild pain |
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Term
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Definition
map, diagram, plan, picture
地图 map; 图表 chart; 图纸 blueprint; 图像 image / graphic
图腾 totem (borrowed term); 图谋 to plot; 图利 to seek profit
a "framed" (囗) winter (冬) on a painting by Pieter Bruegel, makes people think how to make a plan for the cold months |
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Term
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Definition
to end, to finish
finally, in the end
终点 endpoint, finish line; 终于 finally; 最终 ultimately, finally
终生 lifelong (lit. end of life); 终身 lifelong; 终止 to terminate;
终结 to conclude; 临终 on one’s deathbed (euphemistic);
the making of a silk (纟) threads lasts till the winter (冬) when all job ends |
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Term
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Definition
grass; rough, draft
草地 lawn; 野草 weeds; 草稿 rough draft; 草率 sloppy
草药 herbal medicine; 草图 sketch, draft plan
plant (艹) that grows early (早) is grass |
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Term
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Definition
vegetables, greens
蔬菜 vegetables; 菜单 menu; 中国菜 Chinese cuisine
plants (艹) that are picked (采) by hand are vegetables |
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Term
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Definition
tea, tea plant
喝茶 to drink tea; 茶道 tea ceremony; 茶馆 teahouse
the leaves (艹) that are like a surplus (余) are used for tea |
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Term
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Definition
to change/convert
-ify, -ization, -ize
变化 change, transformation; 现代化 modernization
文化 culture (lit. written transformation)
全球化 globalization; 简化 simplification
化学 chemistry; 化工 chemical industry
a prisoner takes time to sharpen a spoon to transform and change it into a knife |
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Term
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Definition
flower, blossom
to spend (money, time)
花朵 blossom; 开花 to bloom; 花粉 pollen
花钱 to spend money; 花时间 to spend time
花纹 decorative pattern; 花哨 gaudy; 花花公子 playboy;
眼花 dazzled (lit. eyes flowered)
grass changes to flower by spending a lot of time under the sun
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Definition
bitter; hardship
苦茶 bitter tea; 吃苦 to endure bitterness (a metaphor for resilience)
痛苦 pain/suffering; 辛苦 hard work/toil; 吃苦 to endure hardship
苦难 adversity, hardship; 很苦 very bitter
Old (古) plants (艹) mean medicinal herbs, which are naturally bitter. |
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Term
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Definition
second; 2nd
In contracts, 甲方 = Party A, 乙方 = Party B
(like "Party 1" and "Party 2")
the rotate number "2" |
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Definition
art; skill
艺术 art; 艺术家 artist; 工艺 craftsmanship; 技艺 technical skill;
someone looking after a plant (艹) that is growing haphazardly and crooked (乙). Attending to such a plant requires enormous effort and is a skilful art. |
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Term
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Definition
plantain; banana
香蕉 banana; 蕉树 banana tree
a plant (艹) that looks dark and like burnt (焦) when it is not fresh anymore is a plantain or a banana |
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Term
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Definition
to make an appointment
to arrange
to promise / agree
approximately, roughly
约定 to arrange (to make an agreement); 合约 contract; 大约 roughly
a connection (纟) made by drinking wine together from the same ladle (勺) thus making an agreement or a pact |
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Term
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Definition
drug, medicine
中药 traditional Chinese medicine; 西药 Western pharmaceuticals
药店 pharmacy; 吃药 to take medicine; 毒药 poison
a plant (艹) upon which is agreed (约) that it works like a medicine |
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Term
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Definition
world, society
generation, era, lifetime
世界 world; 世俗 secular world; 一生一世 a whole lifetime;
三世同堂 three generations under one roof
"ten" and "ten" and "ten" = three decades = one generation |
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Term
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Definition
extra, surplus, remainder;
I, me (classical)
剩余 leftover, surplus; 多余 unnecessary, extra
业余 spare time, or amateur (lit. beyond work)
an archaic component meaning "to ";
what is gathered (亼) on the altar (示) is the surplus |
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Term
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Definition
burned, scorched;
anxious, worried
焦黑 burnt black, charred; 焦点 focus, focal/central point;
焦虑 anxiety (burning with worry); 焦急 anxious, impatient
a bird (焦) above a fire (灬) being burned |
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Term
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Definition
victory, to surpass
获胜 to win; 战胜 to defeat (in battle or competition)
胜于 to surpass;
flesh (月 ) gorws (生) with every victory |
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Term
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Definition
star
星座 constellation; 星球 Celestial body (e.g., planets)
明星 "Bright star" → celebrity
a sun (日) that is just born (生) is a new star |
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Term
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Definition
surname
姓名 Full name (surname + given name); 姓氏 surname;
老百姓 common people (lit. old hundred surnames)
a woman (女) giving birth (生) to a lineage starting a family name (姓) |
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Term
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Definition
nature; sex
性别 gender; 男性 male; 女性 female; 性行为 sexual behavior
性格 personality; 同性恋 homosexuality
性情 temperament; 本性 inherent nature
Something that comes out of (生) one’s heart (忄) is that person’s nature. |
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Term
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Definition
abundant, plentiful
丰收 a good harvest; 丰满 full, plump (especially in physical form);
丰盛 rich and sumptuous (often for meals); 丰功伟绩 Great achievements;
丰: Simplified form focusing on dense foliage (three horizontal leaves + central stem) thus suggesting an abundant harvest |
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Term
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Definition
nation, state, country
邦交 diplomatic relations; 友邦 friendly nation; 邦联 confederation
Signifies that there are an abundant (丰) number of villages (邑) in which they form together to create a nation or state. |
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Term
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Definition
to help, to assist;
a group, gang
帮忙 to lend a hand, to do a favor; 帮助 to help, assistance
帮手 helper, assistant; 黑帮 mafia; 帮派 a gang or faction
a nation (邦) of people wearing the same towel (巾) on their head ready to help each other as members of the same group |
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Term
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Definition
wheat; barley
小麦 wheat; 麦片 cereal, oatmeal
when there is an abundance (丰) of plants one needs to walk slowly (夂) to harvest all the barley on the barley |
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Term
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Definition
harm, to damage
calamity
伤害 to injure; 灾害 calamity; 害怕 to be afraid (lit. harmed and scared)
有害 harmful; 害虫 pest (lit. harmful insect);
利害 pros and cons (lit. benefits and harms)
a house (宀) where too much stuff (丰) and just a few mouths (口) could actually lead to harm (害) and possible damage |
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Term
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Definition
root, origin, basis
根本 root system; 基本 fundamental; 本来 originally
成本 cost (root investment); 本钱 capital (root money)
书本 book (root of knowledge); 本质 essence, nature
日本 Japan - "Sun-origin" (where the sun "roots")
A horizontal line (一) is added into the bottom of “木” to emphasize its root |
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Term
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Definition
body; form
字体 font, typeface; 体制 system, structure
person's foundation is his body |
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Term
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Definition
end, final, tip
末期 final phase; 末班车 last bus/train; 始末 beginning and end
末梢 tip of branch; 末流 inferior category; 粉末 powder - crushed "tips"
a horizontal line (一) is added into top of “木” to emphasize that location is the end. |
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Term
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Definition
socks
袜子 socks; 一双袜子 a pair of socks;
clothing (衤) which one wears on the very tip (末) of one's body are socks |
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Term
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Definition
not yet, have not;
future
未来 future (lit. not yet come); 尚未 still not yet
未成年 underage; 未尝 have never; 未完成 unfinished
A shorter horizontal line (一) is added into top of tree “木” to emphasize that the growth is not yet finished |
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Term
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Definition
(younger) sister
a girl (女) who is not yet (未) older — that's your younger sister |
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Term
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Definition
method, technique
skill, art
战术 military tactics; 武术 martial arts; 学术 academia
医术 medical skill
Originally it used to signify millet, a crop (木) that has smaller (丶) grain than rice. Millet is a crop that is easy to grow even on barren land of considerable size; therefore, it required skills to manage millet growing |
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Term
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Definition
to gather, to collect
集市 market (where people gather); 诗集 shījí, "poetry collection"
Just as birds (隹) on a tree gather, humans assemble for trade or community |
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Term
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Definition
fruit; result
效果 effect; 成果 achievement; 结果 result, outcome;
后果 consequence; 如果 – if (lit. in case of result)
A crop field (田) hanging from trees (木) signifies fruits hanging from tree branches. |
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Definition
measure word for plants
两棵花 two flowers; 棵树 one tree
Symbolizes naming of a fruit tree (木) by looking at what fruit (果) it bears |
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Term
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Definition
lesson, subject, class
课题 research topic; 语文课 language class
a teacher speaking (讠), and the students gaining fruits (果) from that speech— a knowledge delivered from a lesson |
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Term
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Definition
measure words for small rounded objects; cluster
花朵 flower cluster; 一朵玫瑰 a rose; 几朵白云 a few white clouds
a blossom (几) growing from a stem (木), that looks like a soft little drooping
This character depicts the image of a tree (木) whose branches are waving and drooping (几) in the wind. It is also used as ‘units to count flower, cloud or anything similar to them.’ |
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Term
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Definition
east, eastern
Simplified form of 東, sun 日 rising behind a tree 木
东道主 host (lit. east-road master); 东京 Tokyo (lit. Eastern capital)
一 : A horizontal stroke representing the horizon; 木: "Tree," symbolizing the eastern direction (ancient Chinese placed wooden ritual tablets eastward) |
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Term
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Definition
to bind, bundle
结束 to conclude (lit. knot + bind); 光束 light beam (metaph. "bound" light)
tree (木) branches are tied (口) and bound together for easier transportation. |
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Term
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Definition
straight (up)right; correct, proper
a foot is aligned with another foot, in a proper and correct way; a concept of physical alignment seems so "straight", that it has become an abstract virtue in the Japanese language (where 正 also means "justice") |
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Term
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Definition
orderly, neat
complete, whole
完整 complete, intact; 整体 the whole (as in a system or entity)
整天 all day;
to tie in right way wood in bundles and ap the ends so they are easy to carry means to put in order creating a whole unite |
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Term
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Definition
to cough
咳嗽 cough (the most common usage); 干嗽 dry cough
a mouth (口) tries to swallow a bundle (束) of food, but it gets stuck. One gasps (欠) and cough (嗽) violently to dislodge it! |
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Term
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Definition
a letter, note, card
to choose/select
请柬 invitation card (selected guests); 柬帖 formal note
a bundle (束) of things (丷) carefully selected
Also derived to mean letter, in a sense that only selected words are actually written down when writing a formal letter |
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Term
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Definition
to practice / train
训练 to train; 军事训练 military training
To make silk, the thread (纟) has to be extracted from the silkworm’s cocoon and this is done by soaking them in boiling water. The time has to be estimated (symbol) correctly and that requires much practice |
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Term
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Definition
to smelt, to refine
to temper
炼钢 to smelt steel; 提炼 to extract and refine (e.g., oil, chemicals)
锻炼 to temper the body/mind (e.g., exercise)
精炼 concise (lit. refined to essence)
Using fire (火) to selectively (柬) purify metals, just like refining skills through practice |
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Term
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Definition
forest
森林 deep forest (森 = three 木s!)
艺林 artistic circles (lit. forest of art); 书林 literary world (forest of books)
Two trees (木) are combined to symbolize forest. |
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Term
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Definition
clear, distinct;
pain, suffering
凄楚 bleak, sorrowful; 酸楚 Heartache
一清二楚 crystal clear
to walk through lush, forested environment brings clear pain and suffering to feet |
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Term
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Definition
hemp (konoplja); numbness
发麻 to go numb, tingly;
麻木 numb (from the tingling effect of hemp contact)
Under a shelter (广), stalks (林) are dried and processed into hemp fiber (麻); hemp leaves and flowers also contain anesthetic substance, which led into meaning for numbness. |
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Term
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Definition
<modal paraticle>
"当然嘛！Obviously!; 别生气嘛 Don't be angry;
Symbolizes saying words (口) that can numb (麻) people – signifying something is numbingly clear to everyone. Used as modal particle at the end of sentences to emphasize previous statements such as “reasoning, justice or morality and facts.” |
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Term
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Definition
(specific) tree; to plant
tree (mu) + hand/again [you] + hand/joint [cun]
one is planting a tree with 2 hands |
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Term
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Definition
twig, branch, strip
(a long narrow thing)
foot/walk slowly (zhi) + tree (mu)
feet carefully and slowly stepping on branches and twigs to climb down a tree |
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Term
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Definition
music; laugh, joy
乐器 musical instrument; 乐趣 delight
The wooden strings (乐) bring both music and joy |
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Term
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Definition
rice; meter
A cross (十) holds four grains (灬) of rice that fell from the harvest. |
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Term
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Definition
to come, to arrive
快来！Come quickly!
from far beyond the horizon (—), rice (米) is coming in meters |
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Term
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Definition
machine, device
opportunity, occasion
危机 crisis
on an old wooden (木) table (几) an old machine is sitting and you wonder, "How many (几) functions does this old device have?"
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Term
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Definition
wind
风格 style; 风声 rumor or wind of something happening
风气 social trends lit. wind energy
Symbolizes the shape of a fully inflated (㐅) sail (凡) with strong wind. |
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Term
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Definition
piece of wood
A simplified bedpost, from the character 牀 (bed; a plank (爿) of wood (木) makes a proper bed), which is also simplified as 床 (bed) |
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Term
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Definition
will, shall, would
general
将军 general; 元将, 大将 high-ranking generals
standing in a front of a wooden (丬) board, at dusk (夕), his hand showing what will happen according to the plan of attack, a general is preparing a midnight raid |
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Term
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Definition
robust, strong
壮士 heroic warrior; 壮丽 splendid, magnificent (lit. strong beauty)
肥壮 sturdy (of animals/crops); 壮举 heroic feat
a wooden (丬) armor makes a warrior (士) strong and robust |
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Term
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Definition
to dress, outfit;
to install, to fill, to put in/on
装束 mobilize; 装水 fill with water;
安装, to install (fix + equip) 假装 to pretend (false + outfit);
those who put robust (壮) clothes (衣) like to pretend that they are strong |
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Term
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Definition
piece, slice
胶片 photographic film; 一部片 a film; 动画片 animated movie
片叶子 a leaf; 名片 business card (lit. name slice)
Opposite of “丬[qiáng],” this symbolizes the right side of a log, meaning a thin piece. Also used as a unit to count thin or flat items. |
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Term
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Definition
opposite, against
to reverse/oppose
counter-, anti-
it is hard to climb a cliff (厂) with hands only and again (又) to go down in opposite direction |
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Term
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Definition
a printing plate;
a version, edition
版本 version/edition; 排版 typesetting; 版权 copyright (lit. plate rights)
正版 official/licensed version;
A thin slab (片) carved in reverse (反) becomes a printing plate (版) with a correct version of a text |
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Term
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Definition
low, humble, inferior, base
卑微 humble, insignificant; 卑劣 mean and vile;
卑职 my humble post (formal); 卑职 your lowly servant (old formal)
compared to 甲 inside 卑 we have an inferior (distorted) version, which demands to be humble |
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Term
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Definition
signboard, tablet, plate, card
门牌 doorplate (house number sign); 招牌 shop sign; 品牌 brand
名牌 name tag / famous brand; 扑克牌 playing cards
a small wooden (片) sign given to everyone including commoners of inferior (卑) status as an identification tablet |
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Term
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Definition
beer
黑啤 dark beer; 冰啤 cold beer;
a mouth (口) is humbly (卑) begging for a beer |
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Term
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Definition
bamboo
Bamboo is used in China as a symbol of longevity due to its long life and evergreen nature, as well as having same pronunciation as wish “祝 [zhù].” |
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Term
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Definition
box, chest, trunk
信箱 mailbox; 工具箱 toolbox
Bamboo (⺮) woven with interlocking joints (相) creates a box (箱) |
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Term
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Definition
chopsticks
Bamboo (⺮) that helps you eat quickly (快) = chopsticks (筷)! |
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Definition
dawn; daybreak
Dawn arrives as the sun (日) rises just above the horizon (一). |
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Definition
only; but; still
但愿 if only; 不但...而且... not only... but also...
a person (亻), at dawn (旦), sees only part of the day—the rest is uncertain, but... |
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Definition
prosperous, flourishing
昌盛 prosperous, thriving; 昌明 enlighhted and advanced (society)
sun (日) above the horizon and its reflection in water. The sun (日) will get stronger and brighter as it rises, giving the meaning of prosperous. |
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Term
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Definition
to sing, to chant
演唱 to perform vocally; 领唱 lead singer, solo singing; 合唱 chorus
唱票 to call out votes
A mouth (口) producing bright, resonant sound (昌) = singing! |
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Term
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Definition
facing, toward
dynasty
朝代 dynastic period; 朝北 facing north; 朝前走 walk forward
a 10 feet tall Maximilian sunflower worships also the moon (月) during the morning (早) when it faces towards the symbol of a Tan Dynasty (朝) |
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Term
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Definition
old, former; past
旧朋友 old friend; 怀旧 nostalgia (literally: cherish the old)
旧书 secondhand book / old book; 旧习惯 old habit
旧政府 former government
one (丨) day (日) in the past |
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Definition
bright; clear; next
明亮 bright, well-lit; 光明 brightness, radiance; 明显 obvious, evident
one can see sun (日) and moon (月) next to each other bright |
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Term
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Definition
star
星座 constellation; 星球 Celestial body (e.g., planets)
明星 "Bright star" → celebrity
a sun (日) that is just born (生) is a new star |
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Term
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Definition
5th; time, day,
7-9 am
生辰 birth time/date; 辰光 time/moment
Originally depicted a stone farming tool (possibly a spade or plow blade),
digging into the earth at dawn (7–9 AM), marking the start of a day's labor — that connection to time, routine, and cycles is at the heart of 辰.
used to mark planting seasons |
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Term
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Definition
(early) morning, dawn, daybreak
早晨 early morning; 晨练 morning exercise
the sun (日) just beginning (7-9 am) to shine over the earth as a plow (辰) breaks the soil — that's 晨, the early morning |
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Term
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Definition
sun, sunlight;
positive, male
阴阳 (yīnyáng) – yin and yang (the dual forces in Chinese philosophy)
This describes the sun (日) rising above a hill (阝). This character, in particular, depicts the sun to symbolize “Yang,” an opposing force of “Yin,” but also the man genitals |
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Definition
time; season
sun (ri) + hand/joint (cun)
the length of the shadow on a sun dial/hand was measured by a finger joint to tell the time |
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Definition
bright; sun
昜乌 Poetic name for the sun (lit. "sun crow," referencing the mythical three-legged crow in the sun); 昜谷 (yánggǔ) – Mythical "Valley of the Sun"
At sun (日) scatters (勿) its rays brightly |
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Term
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Definition
soup, brought
汤面 noodle soup; 汤泉 archaic term for hot springs
water (氵) is sun-boiled (昜) for the soup |
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Term
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Definition
to raise
扬手 raise one’s hand; 宣扬 publicize; promote
扬名 make a name for oneself; 颂扬 eulogize
a hand (扌) points toward sun (昜), which is raising above the horizon |
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Term
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Definition
field, open space, ground, place
traditional form 場
A large ground (土) with sunlight shining upon it (昜) provides a suitable place (场) people to gather and hold events |
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Term
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Definition
(ex)change; easy
sun (ri) + do/must not (wu)
the sun do not change its size, although when it is low on the horizon it appears larger thanks to the atmospheric refraction |
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Term
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Definition
past, ancient, former, times
昔日 former days, the past;
今昔 now & then (poetic way to contrast past and present)
It is believed that character symbolizes the past or the former days (日) of the flood (). |
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Term
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Definition
to lend; to borrow
借钱 borrow money; 借书 borrow books
借光 ask for favor (lit. borrow light); 借口 excuse (lit. borrowed words)
a person (亻) turns toward the past (昔) to recall what is borrowed or lended |
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Term
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Definition
error, blunder, mistake, wrong
交错 crisscrossed; 对错 right and wrong
to create a metal relying on the techniques from the past would be wrong |
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Term
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Definition
facing, toward
dynasty
朝代 dynastic period; 朝北 facing north; 朝前走 walk forward
a 10 feet tall Maximilian sunflower worships also the moon (月) during the morning (早) when it faces towards the symbol of a Tan Dynasty (朝) |
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Term
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Definition
look toward
die (wang) + moon (yue) + stand on tiptoe/ (ting)
close to die, a king stands on tiptoe and looks toward the moon wishing to be resurrected as a new moon |
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Term
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Definition
it(s), his, her
the shape of a winnowing basket to sort grain (IT) is leaning against a stand |
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Term
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Definition
period, phase
winnowing basket/it/grain (qi) + moon (yue)
certain grains for certain periods according to the moon |
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Term
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Definition
the moon; cloudy, shade, negative, female, feminine
hill 阝[fù] + moon 月221[yuè]
This describes the moon (月) rising above a hill (阝), and symbolizes “Yin” as explained in the above character “阳.” |
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Term
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Definition
(in) front, ahead
before, earlier
前天 the day before yesterday; 前进 advance/move forward;
前锋 vanguard (frontline troops)
both foot (止) are cut off (刖) in front of public for serious crimes |
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Term
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Definition
to approve, permit
consent; (surname)
帝曰：俞。The Emperor said: Approved.
俞穴 acupuncture points (lit. consented holes)
All people must be gathered (亼) if the foot amputation ( 刖) is to be approved |
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Term
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Definition
pleased, happy
pleasant, joyful
愉悦 delighted (more literary);
愉悦感 sense of pleasure (in neuroscience/psychology)
When your heart (忄) gets approval (俞) from others, you feel happy and pleased (愉)! |
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Term
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Definition
to transport, transfer
to lose (a game, competition)
我输了 "I lost (a game). 运输 transport goods; 输出 export
输入 input (data); 他需要输血 He needs a blood transfusion.
a cart (⻋) has been approved (俞) to transport away the goods making you lose all your wealth |
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Term
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Definition
victory, to surpass
获胜 to win; 战胜 to defeat (in battle or competition)
胜于 to surpass;
flesh (月 ) gorws (生) with every victory |
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Term
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Definition
serve; clothes
flesh (zhou) + kneel+hand=submit
to submit (by kneeling and with hands tied) oneself in flesh means to serve, and the service is often done by wearing a special clothing |
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Term
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Definition
to cut off a foot or feet
In ancient China, 刖刑 was one of the Five Punishments (五刑) in early dynasties like the Shang and Zhou. It involved flesh-cutting: amputating one or both feet—a form of corporal punishment for crimes |
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Term
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Definition
outside, foreign
external
外面 outside surface; 外部 external part (e.g., external structure)
外星人 alien (lit. outer space person); 外国人 foreigner;
外语 foreign language 外交 diplomacy (lit. external interactions)
Under the moon (夕), the diviner (卜) seeks answers from the outside (外) world |
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Term
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Definition
night, evening
深夜 late night
under a roof (亠) a person (亻) needs to walk slowly (夂) to avoid stuffs (丶) since the room is dark as a night |
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Term
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Definition
name; reputation
你叫什么名字？What is your name? 名声 reputation
In the middle of a dark night (夕), to call out (口) somebody by his name |
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Term
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Definition
year, years old
岁月 Years and months (time’s passage)
岁月不饶人。Time waits for no one.
to reach the top of the mountain (山) till the transition period between day and evening (夕) takes years of preparations |
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Term
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Definition
physical submission
A person (⺈) under the moon (夕) kneeling (卩) in submission (夗)
Rarely used in modern Chinese; replaced by 怨 (yuàn), 宛 (wǎn), or 渊 (yuān) |
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Term
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Definition
as if, resembling
graceful; winding
宛如 just like, as though; 宛若 as if (literary)
宛转 tactful or meandering (e.g., a winding path or euphemistic speech)
at evening a person at home is rolling around safely as if he is comfortably in a womb |
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Term
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Definition
many, much
很多 many, a lot; 过多 too much; 多美啊！How beautiful!
很多人 many people
Two slices of meat (夕夕) make many (多)! |
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Term
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Definition
bowl
stone (shi) + winding (wan)
a block of stone with a curved and a hollowed shape used as a bowl |
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Term
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Definition
no(t)
我不去 I won’t go; 不好吃 Not tasty; 不是 not be
underground root (symbol) of plants will not spring above ground (一). Used as negation. |
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Term
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Definition
cup, glass
咖啡杯 coffee cup; 一杯茶 a cup of tea; 两杯水 two glasses of water
世界杯 World Cup; 金杯 golden trophy
a piece of wood (木) with "not" (不) in the middle of it defines a cup (杯) |
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Term
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Definition
still, also; to return
not (bu) + road/go (chuo)
if one goes but not reaches the end of the road, it is still not late to return |
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Term
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Definition
bad, spoiled (food)
broken, not working
When the soil (土) no longer (不) produce crops it is turned bad |
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Term
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Definition
to study; business
job, occupation
企业 enterprise, company; 学业 studies, schoolwork; 毕业 to graduate;
业报 karmic retribution; 业障 karmic obstacle
A tool holder (symbol) is placed on top of a supporting plate (一), derived to mean occupation or job |
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Term
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Definition
seven; 7
a boat for travelling on 7 seas |
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Term
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Definition
up, above
to go up, to ascend
桌子上 on the table; 天上 in the sky" (lit. heaven-above)
something (Ͱ) on the platform (一) above the ground |
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Term
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Definition
down(ward), bellow, under
地下 underground; 下级 lower rank; 下雨 rain falls (lit. rain descends)
from a horizon (一) down (丨) below (丶) |
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Term
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Definition
lamp, light, lantern
traditional form 燈
电灯 "Electric light" (电 + 灯); 红灯 "Red light" (traffic signal)
台灯 "Desk lamp."
a fire (火) burning on top of a lampstand (丁) as a lamp |
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Term
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Definition
high, lofty, eminent
sacred earth-mound on a towering stand—a symbol of divine authority and celestial connection; Emperor Yao |
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Term
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Definition
to burn, to cook
fever
TRAD. 燒; 烧火 "To light a fire." 烧毁 "To burn down."
发烧 fever, literally "emit + burn" (body heat).
burning (火) of enemy’s corpse which is hung high (尧) to create fear. |
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Term
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Definition
grain, cereal
rice plant
A rice stalk is a kind of a tree (木) that hangs its head (丿) as it ripens. |
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Term
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Definition
autumn, fall
when grains (禾) meets fire (火) it's autumn—time to harvest and burn fields |
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Term
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Definition
bother, feel vexed,
to trouble, troublesome
别麻烦 "Don’t bother!"; 心烦意乱 "Distracted and upset" (lit. "heart annoyed, mind chaotic").
anyone with a head on fire would be much in trouble |
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Term
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Definition
to talk, to chat
谈判 "Negotiation" (formal discussions).
谈论 "To discuss" (often in-depth).
words (讠) of heat (炎) flying back and forth — a lively conversation or a heated (炎) discussion |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
black, dark
黑暗 "Darkness" (literal or metaphorical)
黑板 "Blackboard." 黑客 "Hacker" (lit. "black guest").
a chimney, thanks to charcoal (土) burnt by fire (灬), becomes dark and black |
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Term
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Definition
to occupy/ posses
to divine, predict
a crack (卜) are interpreted (口) by shamans who are "claiming" land via divination thus approving a military occupation |
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Term
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Definition
a dot, point, drop
a little, a bit
to order (food)
to light/ignite
a divine brush for making dots with a black ink |
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Term
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Definition
right, correct
so, thus, like that
果然 guǒrán, "indeed"; 然而 "However" ("thus + but")
meat (肉) of a dog (犬) burning on a fire (灬) because the sacrificial rituals were performed like that |
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Term
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Definition
heat, hot
热能 "Thermal energy."
热情 – enthusiasm, warmth (of personality)
a hand (扌) throws the "energy pellets" on fire (丸) to increase the heat |
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Term
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Definition
male adult; fourth
丁等 fourth grade;
人丁 population (lit. people + adult males); 壮丁 strong laborer
to efficiently hit a nail (丁) one needs a male adult with strength |
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Term
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Definition
strike, hit, beat; fight
hand (shou) + nail/man (ding)
strike a nail with a hand |
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Term
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Definition
lamp, light, lantern
traditional form 燈
电灯 "Electric light" (电 + 灯); 红灯 "Red light" (traffic signal)
台灯 "Desk lamp."
a fire (火) burning on top of a lampstand (丁) as a lamp |
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Term
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Definition
pavilion; kiosk
凉亭 a cool pavilion (often used for resting in the shade);
岗亭 guard booth / security post; 报亭 newspaper kiosk / newsstand
under a roof (亠), bellow a sheltering cover (冖), where a person (丁) could rest peacefully inside the pavilion (亭) |
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Term
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Definition
to stop, to halt
停车 park a car; 停船 anchor a boat;
停顿 hesitation (in speech/movement); 停止 terminate
暂停 to pause temporarily; 停电 power outage (lit. stop electricity)
A person (亻) sees a pavilion (亭) where he can stop (停) and take a break |
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Term
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Definition
and, moreover
also, furthermore
既...且... both...and...
a box with shelves for and, also and moreover |
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Term
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Definition
older/elder sister
姐姐 older sister (reduplicated for address)
大姐 eldest sister or respectful term for young women
空姐 flight attendant (lit. sky sister);
小姐 Miss (polite) or controversial term for sex workers
a woman who always comes up with new chores with "and-s" and "also-s" is the older sister
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Term
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Definition
to organize/form
to assemble
group, team, set
thread 纟 [sī] + cutting board/and 且224[qiě]
silk threads (糸) tied to a wooden stand (且) to create a set (组)—like a structured group bound by shared purpose |
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Term
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Definition
ancestor, forefather
A ritual altar (礻) AND a ritual tablet (且) with a list of ancestors like generations on a family tree. That’s 祖: the ones who came before us. |
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Term
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Definition
to rent, to lease, tax
租房 rent a house; 出租 for rent; 地租 land rent; 租车 rent a car
bags of rice (禾) stacked (且) and carried to a landlord to pay the rent |
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Term
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Definition
to help/assist/aid
助手 assistant; 求助 to seek help
moreover (且) strength (力) helps while assisting in carrying the tablet |
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Term
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Definition
to check/examine to investigate
查字典 look up in a dictionary; 警察 police (lit. alert examiner)
a tree (木) at dawn (旦) is checked whether is for cutting down or not |
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Term
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Definition
suitable, fitting
appropriate, proper
宜人 pleasant (lit. suitable for people)
不宜 inadvisable, not suitable; 适宜 suitable, appropriate;
Under the roof (宀) of the ancestral shrine, a tablet (且) marks what is appropriate (宜) |
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Term
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Definition
friendship
情谊 affection / emotional bond; 深厚的谊 deep friendship
speech (讠) that is appropriate (宜) for maintaining friendship |
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Term
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Definition
two; 2
Two lines are stroked horizontally to signify number two. |
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Term
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Definition
five; 5
The two horizontal lines (二) signifying heaven and earth is inter-connected (symbol) to represent the universe. It was believed that the universe contained five basic elements. |
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Term
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Definition
I; my
Classical idioms: 吾辈 (we/our generation); 吾国 our nation
Signifies an act of wishing (口) for well-being of myself (I) to the god of nature who governs the five (五) basic elements of nature |
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Term
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Definition
language, speech
与人语 to speak with someone;
一言一语 every single word (lit. one speech, one language)
the words (讠) in my (吾) own language |
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Term
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Definition
cloud; say
白云 white clouds; 云游 to wander like a cloud
Signifies clouds floating in the sky. A floating cloud can also predict rain, which then also came to mean to say. |
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Term
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Definition
to move, transport
luck, fortune
运气 luck (lit. movement of qi); 运营 to operate (e.g., a business)
运气 luck; 幸运 lucky; 好运！Good luck!; 运货 to ship goods
a cloud (云) floating (辶) and moving around "transporting" the rain, or creating the omens of good luck |
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Term
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Definition
to move, to act
TRAD 動; 运动 "Exercise" (lit. "to move")
a cloud (云) forces a man with a plow (力) to move faster because of the coming rain |
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Term
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Definition
corpse
尸检 autopsy (lit. corpse examination)
this is the sitting position of a corpse in an ancient grave |
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Term
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Definition
layer; floor; level
building frame/house/corpse (shi) + cloud (yun)
a cloud has layers, a house has floors, while there are levels of analysis |
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Term
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Definition
well (for water)
井口 well opening; 井水 well water; 井喷 blowout (oil/gas well eruption)
Signifies the frame of a waterwell, created by weaving together stone and wood materials and digging downward. |
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Term
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Definition
to speak / explain
讲课 to teach a class; 讲故事 to tell a story; 演讲 to give a speech
讲价 to bargain (lit. speak price)
words (讠) come out of a well (井) steadily, carefully, and with purpose — just like when you explain something clearly |
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Term
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Definition
to advance/enter
to make progress
前进 to move forward; 进入 to enter; 进步 progress;
进口 import (lit. enter mouth)
while moving (辶) toward a well (井) with every step you're making a progress |
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Term
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Definition
eight; 8
Ancient Chinese used tally marks, and 八’s shape may represent two hands with thumbs crossed (totaling 8 fingers); shaped as two matching lines in opposite, means to divide, derived from a number that can be continuously divided (八). |
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Term
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Definition
six; 6
a "ghost" from the movie "The 6th sense" |
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Term
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Definition
to divide/separate
a part, fraction
divide/eight (ba) + knife (dao)
The character 分 visually encapsulates the act of cutting with a knife (刀) to create parts (八) |
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Term
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Definition
once, formerly
already, ever
曾经 once upon a time; 未曾 never before;
曾祖 great-grandfather (generational layering)
a steam (丷) from a dual-pot cooking vessel (the middle of 曾) filled with water (丷) and heated (曰) constantly, so that what once was a liquid already becomes "ephemeral" like a vapor |
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Term
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Definition
to increase, to add
to enhance
earth (土) accumulates additional layers (曾) thus increasing its size
增值 "added value", 增量 "increment"; 增强 "to strengthen" |
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Term
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Definition
to investigate
to dig into, to get to the bottom of something
究竟 after all; thoroughly; 讲究 to be particular about, to pay attention to;
追究 to investigate, to get to the root of (a problem);
究明 to elucidate (common in academic papers)
a cave (穴) so mysterious that one need to go nine (九) levels deep to investigate it thoroughly |
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Term
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Definition
miscellaneous; mixed, various
混杂 to mix/blend; 杂志 magazine (lit. a collection of mixed writings)
many (九) dragon trees (木) with various shapes and mixed together |
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Term
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Definition
pill, pellet (kuglica)
药丸 pill (lit. medicine pellet); 肉丸 meatball
弹丸 bullet or pellet (used in slingshots or early firearms)
a "dragon" (九) "pill" (丶) |
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Term
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Definition
heat, hot
热能 "Thermal energy."
热情 – enthusiasm, warmth (of personality)
a hand (扌) throws the "energy pellets" on fire (丸) to increase the heat |
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Term
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Definition
enjoy
high (gao) + child (zi)
to help ancestor to enjoy life, the descendants build up a high altar for offering |
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Term
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Definition
who, what
enjoy (xiang) + bow/pellet (wan)
Who enjoys to eat "dragon pills" - a child, of course |
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Term
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Definition
cooked, ripe
who (shu) + fire (huo)
who cooked 9 ripe "dragon pills" |
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Term
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Definition
nine, 9
a dragon with a curled tail
historically representing "many" or "a multitude" |
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Term
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Definition
ten; 10
十月 October
the vertical line (丨) = celestial pillar; the horizontal stroke (一) = earthly plane; together, they form a cosmic axis (十方, shí fāng, "ten directions" of the universe) |
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Term
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Definition
what; assorted, miscellaneous
什物 sundry items; 这是什么？ What is this?
a person (亻) holding ten (十) miscellaneous things assorted in one group |
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Term
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Definition
south
南方 southern region; 南极 South Pole; 南音 southern music
Ancient Chinese music performed with big bells while performing south-facing rituals |
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Term
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Definition
single, alone
单人 single person; 单独 alone, by oneself; 单数 odd number (1, 3, 5, etc.)
a picture of a shield for a single warrior |
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Term
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Definition
thousand
千岁 a thousand years (used for emperors, wishing eternal reign); 千里马 thousand-mile horse (metaphor for exceptional talent)
it's 十 (ten) with a little mark (borrowed from hundred 百, but slightly slanted) to show a very big number - like thousands |
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Term
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Definition
umbrella
雨伞 rain umbrella; 太阳伞 sunshade / parasol
保护伞 protective umbrella (e.g., political cover)
a canopy (人), fabric stretched over the frame (丷) and handle (十) is an unfolded umbrella |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
center; middle
中庸 Doctrine of the Mean" (Confucian ideal of harmony)
中医 Traditional Chinese Medicine" (balancing yin-yang)
This character describes an object (口) which is pierced (丨) in the middle or center. It also means that China is the center of the world. |
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Term
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Definition
bell; clock
闹钟 (nào zhōng) = alarm clock;
钟爱 to cherish (lit. bell-love, echoing the preciousness of bronze)
Signifies a metal (钅) bell being hung on the center (中) of the bell tower. In the olden days, the bell tower of town offices also served as clocks |
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Term
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Definition
book, writing
document
书法 calligraphy (lit. writing-method)
Signifies writing of characters on pages (⺆) bound together using a brush (丨) and ink (丶), which ends up as a book |
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seed; species
种花 to plant flowers; 种树 to plant trees
人种 race (lit. human kind)
A grain stalk (禾) planted by piercing (丨 ) a hole in the ground (口) is the central (中) first step in getting new seeds |
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Term
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Definition
to govern, control
保乂 to protect and govern;
two crossed blades (like scissors or shears), representing pruning plants (agricultural tool) cutting away excess (metaphor for discipline). |
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Definition
righteousness, justice, morality
meaning
正义 justice; 义务 moral obligation; 意义 significance, meaning
crossed blades (乂) fighting for a little - but valuable - piece (丶) of justice in a righteous, balanced way |
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Term
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Definition
to discuss / consult
to deliberate
建议 suggestion, proposal; 议论 to comment, to discuss
协议 agreement, protocol;
the words (讠) of what is right and just (义) are pouring out during a discussion (议) |
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Term
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Definition
to live, to reside, to stop, to stay
住在北京 live in Beijing; 住宅 residence, housing;
停住 to block (lit. stop up); 记住 remember (lit. fix in memory);
a person (亻) needs to master (主) how to create a candle (主) if he wants to live inside four walls |
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Term
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Definition
to pour, inject;
to concentrate
注释 annotate, ("pouring" explanations into text);
关注 focus on (mental "flow" toward something)
The water master (主) regulates how the water (氵) pours through a dam |
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Term
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Definition
to make, to do
to act, to work
制作 manufacture; 动作 movement, action
作家 writer; 作文 to write an essay
a person (亻) in action of handling a tool (乍) to make for the first time a presentation of how to do the work |
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Definition
yesterday
昨日 yesterday (more formal or literary); 昨晚 last night
a day (日) that suddenly (乍) disappears belongs to yesterday |
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Term
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Definition
how, in what way
怎么回事 what’s going on?
A question of how is formed when you suddenly (乍) reflect in your heart (心) the events of your past, and start asking yourself questions. |
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Term
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Definition
suddenly, abruptly
for the firs time
乍一看 at first glance
a person with a tool drills until suddenly he pierces through |
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Term
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Definition
small, little, young
small (丿 + ㇏), but stable (亅) |
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Term
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Definition
few, little, less
少年 youth (literally young few); 少将 major general (junior rank)
少有的 rare (ironically meaning "few-have")
多少 How much? (combining opposites)
not just small (小) but with a minus (丿) reduced to a few |
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Term
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Definition
to save/economize
province
to reflect, to self-examine
省钱 to save money; 反省 to reflect on oneself, to self-examine;
省份 province
left with a few (少) watch out (目) how to save and take a closer look on provinces to be sure that they reflect on how to economize |
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Term
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Definition
resemble, be like
不肖 unworthy (lit. "not resembling", someone not living up to a standard)
生肖 Zodiac (animals representing birth years)
ancient small (\ ו ∕) body (肉) of a son resembles the large body of a parent |
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Definition
to disappear, to vanish
to eliminate, to consume
消费 (consume/spend);
the amniotic fluid (氵) resembles (肖) a small pool, which disappears with time as a small body (肖) becomes bigger and bigger |
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Term
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Definition
beans, legumes
above (上) and small (小) as a bean
尗 is an ancient variant of 菽 (beans/legumes)
Ancient texts wrote 尗, but cooks now say 豆 (dòu)! |
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Term
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Definition
father's younger brother; uncle;
third in order
大叔 older uncle (often used casually to refer to middle-aged men)
beans (尗) should be picked up with hands (又) by those who are third in order, and thus too young to work hard, like father’s younger brother |
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Definition
to escape, to flee
a rabbit (兔) likes to "walk away" (辶) so swiftly that it is a synonym for fleeing away |
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Definition
rabbit, hare
免 (to avoid) + an extra dot (丶) as a tail of a rabbit |
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Definition
ghost, spirit of the dead
evil, demonic figure
The "head" (later stylized as 田 + 丿) was oversized, emphasizing supernatural power, now is stylized mask;
儿 (legs) suggested floating or disjointed movement, added 厶 (private) symbolizes the hidden, elusive nature of ghosts |
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Term
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Definition
to fear, to dread;
awe-inspiring
in a field (田) a hidden claw [] is trying to reach a kneeling man [] who is in fear |
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Definition
hello, hey
telephone greeting
to feed
喂奶 "to breastfeed"
Signifies calling (口) out to someone – Hello? Anyone? – in fear (畏) when walking about at night and feeling something eerie. The "feeding" meaning likely extended from vocal encouragement during feeding |
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Term
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Definition
Devil's Head
is not a standalone character;
This specific combo is unique to 鬼 and its derivatives |
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