弋 士 Military Museum

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.

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.

cán

incomplete
歹 + 戋
carcass + machine gun

This carcass was made incomplete by a machine gun.

jié

lop off
𢦏 + 隹
tank + special bird

This tank ran over a turkey and lopped off its head.

fell [v.]
亻 + 戈
persona + rifle

War stories can get stretched. This persona tells of the time he fell a tree with his rifle.

kuǎn

funds
士 + 示 + 欠
soldier + altar + lack

This soldier lacks funds to take his bride to the altar.

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”).

qiào

turn upward
尧yáo + 羽
ceremonial soldier + wings

This ceremonial soldier’s collar is turned upward like wings.

jié

tie [v.]
纟 + 吉jí
thread + lucky

tie a lucky thread around your finger

This soldier was lucky to tie the knot during leave.

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.

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.

zhuàng

robust
丬qiáng + 士
turtle + soldier

a teenage mutant ninja turtle OR With his turtle-like armor, this soldier looks quite robust.

levy [n.]
贝 + 武wǔ
shells + military

levy's purpose is to collect shells to pay for the military

jiāo

sprinkle
氵 + 尧yáo
water + ceremonial guard

To vary the work, watering/sprinkling the flowers was assigned to this ceremonial guard.

frolic [v.]
又 + 戈
right hand + rifle

Your right hand frolics with the trigger of the rifle.

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

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.

shì

soldier

broad soldiers, feet at attention

as a component: “士字旁”

mào

lush
艹 + 戊
flowers + cannon

They found this cannon half-buried in the jungle, now lush with flowers.

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.

drum
壴gǔ + 支
drummer boy + branch

The drummer boy uses a branch for a drumstick.

huá

scratch [v.]
戈 + 刂
rifle + sword

When it is a rifle versus a sword, a sword can only scratch a rifle.

péng

puffy
月 + 彭péng
body part + Peng

This body part of drummer boy Peng is getting puffy.

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.

zài

load [v.]
𢦏zái + 车
tank + vehicle

Picture a tank loaded with the vehicle it is pushing out of the way.

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.

ráo

spare [v.]
饣 + 尧yáo
food + ceremonial soldier

This ceremonial soldier was spared from mess hall duty.

qiǎn

shallow
氵 + 戋jiān
water + machine gun

Picture machine gun-toting soldiers moving through shallow water.

jié

spotless
氵 + 吉jí
water + lucky

Lucky water get things spotlessly clean.

shāo

fever
火 + 尧yáo
fire + ceremonial guard

This ceremonial guard has a fever but he has to ignore the burning.

jiàn

tread on
足 + 戋jiān
lower leg + machine gun

tread on the machine gun of a fallen comrade

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.

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.

náo

chafe
扌 + 尧yáo
hand + ceremonial soldier

The hand of this ceremonial soldier felt chafed and itchy, but he resisted scratching it.

military [adj.]
一 + 止 + 弋
one + footprint + pistol

Picture this military salute: one stamp of the foot followed by a flash of the pistol.

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.

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.

kettle
士 + 冖 + 业
soldier + crown + profession

This soldier put his mess hall experience to use as a professional kettle keeper for the crown.

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

dài

have on
𢦏zái + 田 + 共
tank + field + together

tanks roll together over the field, battalion members all have on a helmet

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.

róng

*padding
十 + 戈
ten + rifle

You need padding 10 layers thick to protect yourself from a rifle.

jiā

commend
壴 + 加jiā
drummer boy + add

This drummer boy is commended for his performance and money is added to his wages.

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.

lucky
士 + 口
soldier + mouth

This lucky soldier got a kiss on his way to war.

xiǎo

dawn
日 + 尧yáo
sun + ceremonial guard

As the sun rises at dawn, this ceremonial guard’s watch ends.

huò

or
口 + 一 + 戈
mouth + floor + rifle

“Put your mouth on the floor or I’ll shoot my rifle!”

péng

Peng
壴 + 彡
drummer boy + bird tail

This drummer boy, named Peng, adds a bird tail to his cap.

arrow, *pistol

part of a series of weapon components: 弋 *pistol, 戈 *rifle, 戋 *machine gun, 戊 *cannon, 𢦏 *tank; a pistol is a handgun used in duels

jiàn

cheap
贝 + 戋jiān
shells + machine gun

cheap plastic machine guns that only cost a few shells

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”

*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.

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

joyful
壴 + 口
drummer boy + mouth

Make a joyful noise with drum and mouth!

chuí

droop
千 + 艹 + 士
thousand + flowers + soldier

a thousand flowers droop to honor a fallen soldier

*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.

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

zhǎo

look for
扌 + 戈
hand + rifle

look for the hand that the rifle shot off

qián

coin [n.]
钅 + 戋jiān
metal + machine gun

Ammunition is expensive. A machine gun might as well be shooting metal coins.

xián

salty
一 + 口 + 戊
one + mouth + cannon

one taste of something too salty and you spit it out like a cannon

chéng

turn into
刀 + 戊
knife + cannon

When does a knife fight turn into a cannon fight? When a bully becomes president.

shì

style [n.]
弋 + 工
pistol + work

The stylish English dueling pistol was prized for its accuracy and its work-manship.

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.

shēng

voice [n.]
士 + 尸 + 丨
soldier + split flag

In a civil war, soldiers‘ voices are split against each other.

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).

弋 士 Military Museum

Quiz

military [adj.]

qiào

turn upward

jiè

take precautions against

shēng

voice [n.]

dài

substitute for

huá

scratch [v.]

Show Answers