These are the characters in this series. To see them put together in a story, click on the image above to access the pdf. Then review and quiz yourself at the bottom.
歹
dǎi
malicious, *carcass
alternative breakdown: 一+夕 ceiling + evening, haunted house: carcass hanging from the ceiling in the evening
灵
líng
spirit
彐 + 火
broom + fire
spirits dancing around the fire with brooms
巫
wū
witch
工 + 人 + 人
work/I-beam + person + person
witch cursed 2 people to forever carry I-beams OR a witch “works” on people OR This looks like a witch doctor with two voodoo dolls hanging on the inside of her cape.
⺈
mì
*mask
臼
jiù
*rib cage
derivative: 叟 *skeleton
装
zhuāng
attire
壮zhuàng + 衣
robust + clothing
A robust teenage mutant ninja turtle puts on formal attire.
臽
xiàn
trap
⺈ + 臼
mask + rib cage
This is a Halloween trap (maybe a pit, a large mouse trap?). Somehow include a mask and rib cage.
邪
xié
wicked
牙yá + 阝
tooth + city walls
Dreaming about a wicked dentist’s ghost, who lurks by the city walls at night, waiting for victims from whom he can extract a tooth.
壮
zhuàng
robust
丬qiáng + 士
turtle + soldier
a teenage mutant ninja turtle OR With his turtle-like armor, this soldier looks quite robust.
曾
céng
formerly, *gremlin
丷 + ee + 曰
horns + evil eyes + sayeth
This is a picture of just the gremlin’s head with a big wide grinning mouth.
烈
liè
intense
列liè + 灬
line up + cooking fire
Intense scene: zombies lined up with swords with flames under their feet.
色
sè
color [n.]
⺈ + 巴
mask + boa
This is “Rainboa”—a colorful masked snake.
煞
shà
goblin
刍 + 攵 + 灬
flying witch + taskmaster + cooking fire
This goblin is cooked up by a flying witch who orders him to disturb the trick-or-treaters.
屰
nì
*devil's pitchfork
丷 + 屮
horns + pitchfork
A devil's pitchfork is often depicted with horns.
搜
sōu
search [v.]
扌 + 叟sǒu
hand + skeleton
A hand is searching around in the dark and finds a skeleton.
列
liè
line up
歹 + 刂
carcass + sword
Zombies lining up with swords.
邹
zōu
Zou
刍 + X阝
flying witch + city walls
The flying witch Zou circles the city walls.
屮
chè
pitchfork
久
jiǔ
long time, *mummy
勹 + 人
bound up + person
This person has been bound up for a long time.
鬼
guǐ
ghost
丶 + 田 + 儿 + 厶
drop + field + human legs + monument
This ghost maybe has a top knot on the sheet with human legs showing out the bottom. Maybe a Washington monument is chained to one leg?
趋
qū
hasten
走 + 刍chú
walk + flying witch
The witch is walking along and then in order to hasten to her destination, jumps on her broom and flies away.
魔
mó
demon
麻má + 鬼
hemp + ghost
Maybe the ghost removes his sheet to smoke weed and reveals a demon face.
增
zēng
increase [v.]
土 + 曾céng
soil + gremlin
Soil, instead of water, causes these gremlins to increase.
皱
zhòu
wrinkles
刍 + 皮
flying witch + covering
This flying (old) witch is covered with wrinkles.
龟
guī
tortoise
⺈ + 电
mask + electricity
This is a tortoise costume that lights up.
焰
yàn
flame
火 + 臽xiàn
fire + trap
Don't touch the flame. Fire is pretty but it's a trap.
魄
pò
vigor
白 + 鬼
white + ghost
The whiteghost in Pac-Man is the one with the most vigor.
欢
huān
merry
又 + 欠
right hand + lack
This is Merry the pirate who lacks a right hand.
高
gāo
tall
亠 + 口 + 冂 + 口
top hat + mouth + hood + mouth
This is a tall man costume with someone on someone else’s shoulders. The guy on top wears a top hat to make him even taller. The guy on the bottom wears a hood to cover his face.
兔
tù
rabbit
⺈ + 口 + 儿 + 丶
mask + “chest” + human legs + drop
a human dressed as an Easter rabbit with a mask and drop of a tail
Surely you can think of a kind of bunny with a large chest and human legs.
冏
jiong
*dementor
冂 + 丶丶 + 口
hood + 2 drops + mouth
This is a dementor with sunken eyes and mouth.
叟
sǒu
*skeleton
picture a rib cage, spine and pelvic bones
alternatively: 臼+丨+又 rib cage + stick + right hand
刍
chú
*flying witch
⺈ + 彐
mask + broom
This masked witch flies on a magic broom.
商
shāng
salesman
亠 + 丷 + 冏
top hat + horns + dementor
This is an evil salesman that wears a top hat to cover his horns and disguise his soul-sucking dementor-ness.
争
zhēng
contend
⺈ + 肀
mask + rake
This is a contentious hockey player with a mask and a rake.
冒
mào
risk [v.]
冂 + 二 + 目mù
hood + two + eye
This is a burglar (taking a risk) with just 2 slits in his hood for his eyes.
急
jí
anxious
刍 + 心
flying witch + heart
A witch flies by and you immediately feel anxious.
死
sǐ
death
歹 + 匕
carcass + spoon/person sitting
This is death personified, someone sitting slumped over dead.