You find wild celery flowering near your shelter. You harvest it with your axe.
柿
shì
persimmon
木 + 市shì
tree + market
it's persimmon season, they've hit the market
锤
chuí
hammer
钅 + 垂chuí
metal + droop
metal droops each time it hits
铜
tóng
copper
钅 + 同tóng
metal + same
Are the back of all the pennies the same?
折
zhé
discount [n.]
扌 + 斤
hand + catty/axe
show discount on your hand for a 斤jīn of fruit OR This small hand axe you got on discount.
鹅
é
goose
我wǒ + 鸟
I/me + bird
my pet bird is a goose
粉
fěn
powder [n.]
米 + 分fēn
rice + part
powder results from rice crushed into parts
萄
táo
grapes (B)
艹 + 匋táo
flowers + lidded clay pot
Pu and Tao are sitting under the flowering arbor where grapes are bound up in clusters. Pu uses a needle to inject the juice intravenously and Tao drinks the juice from a clay pot.
钢
gāng
steel
钅 + 冈gāng
metal + ridge
steel reinforcement below the ridge of the roof
梨
lí
pear
利lì + 木
profit + tree
earn profit harvesting your pear trees at the same time as your grain
粒
lì
grain of [m.w.]
米 + 立lì
rice + stand up
this measure word stands next to small grains of things like rice
锯
jù
saw [n.]
钅 + 居jū
metal + reside
resident carpenter uses a metal saw to build a residence
蘑
mó
mushroom (cap)
艹 + 磨mó
flowers + grind
the caps of the mushrooms are the flowers, grind them into a paste
勺
sháo
ladle
勹bāo + 丶
bound up + drop
a ladle binds up drops
芒
máng
mango
艹 + 亡wáng
flowers + deceased
I would gladly submit to death by mango
铃
líng
small bell
钅 + 令lìng
metal + alarm clock
the small bell on an alarm clock is made of metal
匙
chí
spoon [n.]
是shì + 匕
to be + spoon
it IS a spoon
棉
mián
cotton
木 + 白 + 巾
tree/wood + white + towel
woody bush that produces white towels is the cotton plant
帽
mào
hat
巾 + 冒mào
towel + risk
because of risk of sunburn, use towel for hat
杏
xìng
apricot
木 + 口
tree + mouth
mouth open at the bottom of a tree waiting for an apricot to fall
皂
zào
soap
白 + 七
white + seven
this white soap gets you seven times cleaner than other brands
樱
yīng
cherry
木 + 婴yīng
tree + baby
babies of the tree are cherries (vs. plums who are the children 李lǐ plum)
针
zhēn
needle
钅 + 十
metal + needle
metal needle
榴
liú
pomegranate
木 + 留liú
tree + stay
the other trees can go, but the pomegranate tree stays
枣
zǎo
jujube
朿 + 冫
thorn + ice
thorny tree which will bear fruit (red dates) even after it freezes
姜
jiāng
ginger
羊yáng + 女
sheep + woman
Ginger Jiang, a shepherdess, forages for wild ginger while tending her sheep.
莓
méi
berry
艹 + 每měi
flowers + every
every flower produces a berry
瓶
píng
bottle
并bìng + 瓦
combine + tile
combine things in bottles made of clay
糖
táng
sugar
米 + 唐táng
rice + Tang
sugar looks like rice-colored Tang
镜
jìng
mirror
钅 + 竟jìng
metal + unexpectedly
metal mirror unexpectedly talks to you
匊
jū
scoop [v.]
勹 + 米
bound up + rice
scoop up rice to bind it as a serving
链
liàn
chain [n.]
钅 + 连lián
metal + one after another
metal links one after another
摊
tān
vendor's stand
扌 + 难nán
hand + difficult
difficult profession, selling stuff by hand
哲
zhé
philosopher
折zhé + 口
discount + mouth
philosopher offering a discount on his spoken opinions at the market
菇
gū
mushroom (stem)
艹 + 姑gū
flowers + father’s sister
your aunt’s infamous mushroom stem soup
钉
dīng
nail
钅 + 丁dīng
metal + nail
metal nail
梅
méi
small plum
木 + 每měi
tree + every
Chinese find a way to enjoy the fruit of every tree, even the sour ones (just salt them)
锅
guō
pot
钅 + 呙guō
metal + esophagus
an esophagus bobs to the top of a boiling pot
葡
pú
grapes (A)
艹 + 勹 + 甫fǔ
flowers + bound up + injection
Pu and Tao are sitting under the flowering arbor where grapes are bound up in clusters. Pu uses a needle to inject the juice intravenously and Tao drinks the juice from a clay pot.
旦
dàn
daybreak
日 + 一
sun + floor
sun coming up over the horizon
革
gé
leather [n.]
廿 + 口 + 十
twenty + mouth + needle
make twenty holes with a needle in a leather belt
杯
bēi
cup
木 + 不bù
wood + no
cups used to be made of wood--no longer
souvenir wooden cup with a no symbol
苹
píng
apple
艹 + 平píng
flowers + even
an apple a day keeps you even
汁
zhī
juice [n.]
氵 + 十shí
water + ten/needle
power juices injected intravenously because they are so nasty
takes 10 apples to make 1 cup of juice
灯
dēng
lamp
火 + 丁dīng
fire + nail
modern transparent light bulb lamp that looks like a nail on fire
菜
cài
vegetable
艹 + 采cǎi
flowers + pick
pick off the flowers when you eat the vegetable
糕
gāo
cake
米 + 羔gāo
rice + lamb
Chinese cake made of rice and lamb
铅
qiān
lead [n.]
钅 + 0yǎn
metal + belch
lead factory belching smoke
钟
zhōng
bell
钅 + 中zhōng
metal + middle
strike the metalbell in the middle to get the best sound
料
liào
material [n.]
米 + 斗
rice + big dipper
different cooking materials like rice scooped out at the market with a big dipper