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.
线
xiàn
line [n.]
纟 + 戋jiān
thread + machine gun
Machine guns shoot a lot of bullets in a row, threaded together in a line that is fed through the gun.
壳
ké
shell [n.]
士 + 冗
soldier + superfluous
To this soldier in training, an extra shell of armor seems superfluous. OR Prince Superfluous is sent off as a soldier and dies in a shelling.
残
cán
incomplete
歹 + 戋
carcass + machine gun
This carcass was made incomplete by a machine gun.
截
jié
lop off
𢦏 + 隹
tank + special bird
This tank ran over a turkey and lopped off its head.
伐
fá
fell [v.]
亻 + 戈
persona + rifle
War stories can get stretched. This persona tells of the time he fell a tree with his rifle.
款
kuǎn
funds
士 + 示 + 欠
soldier + altar + lack
This soldierlacks funds to take his bride to the altar.
贼
zéi
burglar
贝 + 戎
shells + padding
Burglars are in it for the shells, especially in wartime. This one is padding the guns he is selling to the enemy (贼 zéi also means “traitor”).
翘
qiào
turn upward
尧yáo + 羽
ceremonial soldier + wings
This ceremonial soldier’s collar is turned upward like wings.
结
jié
tie [v.]
纟 + 吉jí
thread + lucky
tie a luckythread around your finger
This soldier was lucky to tie the knot during leave.
栽
zāi
sow
𢦏zái +木
tank + tree
Other machinery is invented based on the tank. This tank-like tractor smooths the ground before trees are sown.
戚
qī
kin
戊 + 上 + 小
cannon + above + small
Uncle Schubert does a cannonball jump into the pool to the delight of his younger kin. OR The justification of the cannon is it is protecting kin, flies above the small people.
壮
zhuàng
robust
丬qiáng + 士
turtle + soldier
a teenage mutant ninja turtle OR With his turtle-like armor, this soldier looks quite robust.
赋
fù
levy [n.]
贝 + 武wǔ
shells + military
levy's purpose is to collect shells to pay for the military
浇
jiāo
sprinkle
氵 + 尧yáo
water + ceremonial guard
To vary the work, watering/sprinkling the flowers was assigned to this ceremonial guard.
戏
xì
frolic [v.]
又 + 戈
right hand + rifle
Your right handfrolics with the trigger of the rifle.
威
wēi
might [n.]
一 + 女 + 戊
one + woman + cannon
The might of a cannon blows one woman away.
It takes one woman to show her might by standing up to the cannon
战
zhàn
war
占zhān + 戈
tell fortunes + rifle
The fortune tellers of the day predicted the number of rifles would determine the outcome of the war.
士
shì
soldier
broad soldiers, feet at attention
as a component: “士字旁”
茂
mào
lush
艹 + 戊
flowers + cannon
They found this cannon half-buried in the jungle, now lush with flowers.
嘎
gā
creak
口 + 一 + 自 + 戈gē
mouth + ceiling + nose + rifle
This is the sound made by a POW who is being tortured to extract information. He is being hung by his nose from the ceiling with a rifle pointed at him.
鼓
gǔ
drum
壴gǔ + 支
drummer boy + branch
The drummer boy uses a branch for a drumstick.
划
huá
scratch [v.]
戈 + 刂
rifle + sword
When it is a rifle versus a sword, a sword can only scratch a rifle.
膨
péng
puffy
月 + 彭péng
body part + Peng
This body part of drummer boy Peng is getting puffy.
尧
yáo
*ceremonial guard
戈 - 丶 + 儿
unloaded rifle + human legs
A ceremonial guard named Yao: he could almost be a statue, his human legs are so still.
载
zài
load [v.]
𢦏zái + 车
tank + vehicle
Picture a tankloaded with the vehicle it is pushing out of the way.
贰
èr
II
二èr + 贝 + 弋
two + shells + pistol
This formal document between two parties of a duel listed the terms of the duel: I. the shells that could be paid to settle the dispute; II. the acceptable kinds of pistols.
饶
ráo
spare [v.]
饣 + 尧yáo
food + ceremonial soldier
This ceremonial soldier was spared from mess hall duty.
浅
qiǎn
shallow
氵 + 戋jiān
water + machine gun
Picture machine gun-toting soldiers moving through shallow water.
洁
jié
spotless
氵 + 吉jí
water + lucky
Lucky water get things spotlessly clean.
烧
shāo
fever
火 + 尧yáo
fire + ceremonial guard
This ceremonial guard has a fever but he has to ignore the burning.
践
jiàn
tread on
足 + 戋jiān
lower leg + machine gun
tread on the machine gun of a fallen comrade
戳
chuō
jab
翟 + 戈
special bird wings + rifle
These soldiers are hungry, but they jab at the wings of the fallen bird with their rifle to make sure it isn’t an enemy trap.
戒
jiè
take precautions against
廾 + 戈
two hands + rifle
To take precautions against someone shooting you, the universal signal is to put your two hands up in the air.
挠
náo
chafe
扌 + 尧yáo
hand + ceremonial soldier
The hand of this ceremonial soldier felt chafed and itchy, but he resisted scratching it.
武
wǔ
military [adj.]
一 + 止 + 弋
one + footprint + pistol
Picture this military salute: one stamp of the foot followed by a flash of the pistol.
裁
cái
tailor [v.]
衣 + 𢦏zái
clothing + tank
Civilians back home tailoring uniforms for soldiers are inspired by the tank to create new ways of tailoring: a machine rolls over a bolt of fabric like a tank to cut out the pattern.
志
zhì
aspiration
士shì + 心
soldier + heart
Soldiers who aspire to serve their country can be awarded a purple heart if they pay the ultimate price by being wounded or killed.
壶
hú
kettle
士 + 冖 + 业
soldier + crown + profession
This soldier put his mess hall experience to use as a professional kettle keeper for the crown.
藏
cáng
hide
艹 + 爿pán + 戊 + 臣
flowers + slat + cannon + loft bed
Hidden enemy: in the flowers, behind slats, behind the cannon, or hiding from his fear in the loft bed in the barracks.
𢦏
zái
*tank
土 + 戈
soil + rifle
The tank is still the backbone of land combat today, rolling over the soil.
part of the weapon series of components (derived from ancient weapons): 弋yì pistol, 戈gē rifle, 戋jiān machine gun, 戊wù cannon, 𢦏zái tank
戴
dài
have on
𢦏zái + 田 + 共
tank + field + together
tanks roll together over the field, battalion members all have on a helmet
蔑
miè
despise
艹 + 罒 + 戊 + 丶
flowers + net + cannon + drop
Flower children despise war. Picture them throwing a net over a cannon or stuffing it with something to prevent it from firing.
戎
róng
*padding
十 + 戈
ten + rifle
You need padding 10 layers thick to protect yourself from a rifle.
嘉
jiā
commend
壴 + 加jiā
drummer boy + add
This drummer boy is commended for his performance and money is added to his wages.
盏
zhǎn
small cup
戋jiān + 皿
machine gun + dish
This small cup holds the bullets from a machine gun that were removed from his side.
吉
jí
lucky
士 + 口
soldier + mouth
This lucky soldier got a kiss on his way to war.
晓
xiǎo
dawn
日 + 尧yáo
sun + ceremonial guard
As the sun rises at dawn, this ceremonial guard’s watch ends.
或
huò
or
口 + 一 + 戈
mouth + floor + rifle
“Put your mouth on the flooror I’ll shoot my rifle!”
彭
péng
Peng
壴 + 彡
drummer boy + bird tail
This drummer boy, named Peng, adds a bird tail to his cap.
弋
yì
arrow, *pistol
part of a series of weapon components: 弋 *pistol, 戈 *rifle, 戋 *machine gun, 戊 *cannon, 𢦏 *tank; apistol is a handgun used in duels
贱
jiàn
cheap
贝 + 戋jiān
shells + machine gun
cheap plastic machine guns that only cost a few shells
戈
gē
halberd, *rifle
弋 + 丿
pistol + slash
part of the weapon series of components (derived from ancient weapons): 弋yì pistol, 戈gē rifle, 戋jiān machine gun, 戊wù cannon, 𢦏zái tank
the next step up in guns, used in the Revolutionary War
as a component: “戈字旁”
壴
gǔ
*drummer boy
士 + 豆
soldier + beans
A boy soldier who plays the drum and is also the camp cook. *Notice the bottom of 士 overlaps with the top of 豆.
我
wǒ
I, me
手 + 戈
hand + rifle
“I've got a right to my rifle!"
alternatively: a picture of a hand pointing to its other hand
喜
xǐ
joyful
壴 + 口
drummer boy + mouth
Make a joyful noise with drum and mouth!
垂
chuí
droop
千 + 艹 + 士
thousand + flowers + soldier
a thousand flowersdroop to honor a fallen soldier
戊
wù
*cannon
𠂆 + 戈
drag + rifle
part of the weapon series of components derived from ancient weapons: 弋yì pistol, 戈gē rifle, 戋jiān machine gun, 戊wù cannon, 𢦏zái tank; This weapon has to be dragged to and from the battlefields.
戋
jiān
*machine gun
一 + 戈
one + rifle
Adding more ammunition and power to rifles, the machine gun changed warfare.
part of the weapon series of components derived from ancient weapons: 弋yì pistol, 戈gē rifle, 戋jiān machine gun, 戊wù cannon, 𢦏zái tank
找
zhǎo
look for
扌 + 戈
hand + rifle
look for the hand that the rifle shot off
钱
qián
coin [n.]
钅 + 戋jiān
metal + machine gun
Ammunition is expensive. A machine gun might as well be shooting metal coins.
咸
xián
salty
一 + 口 + 戊
one + mouth + cannon
one taste of something too salty and you spit it out like a cannon
成
chéng
turn into
刀 + 戊
knife + cannon
When does a knife fight turn into a cannon fight? When a bully becomes president.
式
shì
style [n.]
弋 + 工
pistol + work
The stylish English dueling pistol was prized for its accuracy and its work-manship.
代
dài
substitute for
亻 + 弋
persona + pistol
An important persona in a duel is the “second”, someone sent as a substitute for offended parties, whose primary role was to settle the dispute without violence.
声
shēng
voice [n.]
士 + 尸 + 丨
soldier + split flag
In a civil war, soldiers‘ voices are split against each other.
越
yuè
surpass
走 + 戊
walk + cannon
They walked with the cannon in order to surpass the enemy during the night; it got caught on something (hook stroke).