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.
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.
枕
zhěn
pillow
木 + 冘yín
tree/wood + crown prince
The crown prince is convinced that a wooden pillow is good for his posture.
挥
huī
brandish
扌 + 军
hand + chariot
The army prince practices the military arts: brandishing a sword with his hand and driving a chariot. OR 扌 + 冖 + 车 hand + crown + vehicle beauty queen riding in a parade waves her hand
傍
bàng
close to
亻 + 旁páng
persona + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The person by your side is close to you.”
耽
dān
indulge
耳 + 冘yín
ear + crown prince
Anyone listening to the crown prince must indulge him.
缔
dì
knotted up
纟 + 帝dì
threads + sovereign
A new tailor is hired by the sovereign, but he gets knotted up in threads during the fitting, and the tailor is fired.
膀
bǎng
upper arm
月 + 旁páng
body part + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The body part by your side is your upper arm.”
榜
bǎng
roster
木 + 旁páng
wood + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The wooden tablet by my side is the ship’s roster."
沉
chén
profound
氵 + 冗
water + superfluous
At the prince's funeral by the lake, there is profound stillness on the water, no superfluous sound.
冘
yín
*crown prince
冖 + 儿
crown + human legs
the next human in line for the crown
蒂
dì
fruit stem
艹 + 帝dì
flowers + sovereign
If you picture this royal family on a family tree, the sovereign is the stem, and the children are the flowering branches.
冖
mì
*crown
as a component: “秃宝盖”
derived from: 冠 guān crown
磅
bàng
pound [n.]
石 + 旁páng
stone + side/Columbus
Deep thoughts by Prince Columbus: “The stone by my side weighs a pound.”
冠
guān
crown
冖 + 元 + 寸
crown + beginning + thumb
This is the full form of the character for “crown.” It shows the crown’s line of descent from the beginning, each adding his/her thumbprint.
蹄
tí
hoof
足 + 帝dì
lower leg + sovereign
The sovereign is always on a horse, so its hooves are really just an extension of his lower legs.
毫
háo
milli-
V + 毛máo
tiara + fur
Princess Bling makes a math class breakthrough when her teacher says "a million" is like the number of hairs in her fur stole.
鹤
hè
crane
冖 + 隹 + 鸟
crown + special bird + bird
The crane is the crowned royal special bird of all birds.
浓
nóng
concentrated
氵 + 农nóng
water + agriculture
The agriculture princess‘s new product: concentrated agriculture in a bottle—just add water!
冤
yuān
injustice
冖 + 兔
crown + rabbit
It is injustice that the royal rabbit accidentally gets eaten for supper.
牵
qiān
lead along
大 + 冖 + 牛
large dog + crown + cow
There is a large dog that is the seeing eye dog for the royal cow, who is now blind, leading him along.
啼
tí
weep aloud
口 + 帝dì
mouth + sovereign
The sovereign is weeping aloud for the loss of his wife.
沈
shěn
Shen
氵 + 冘yín
water + crown prince
Shen is the crown prince’s valet, responsible for washing him, dressing him, etc.
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.
泻
xiè
diarrhea
氵 + 写xiě
water + write
The mischievous prince gets pay back for snitching fried pork rinds from the kitchen: watery diarrhea.
晕
yūn
dizzy
日 + 军jūn
sun + chariot
Carsick from driving in his chariot, the prince is dazzled by the sun and gets dizzy, veering off the path. (Royal Family)
The sun reflecting off the chariots made the other army dizzy.
滞
zhì
stagnant
氵 + 带
water + sash
Princess Beauty loses a pageant, throws her sash into the moat, where you can still see it floating because of the stagnant water.
农
nóng
agriculture
冖 + 𧘇
crown + scarf
This princess has taken on the improvement of the realm’s agriculture. Like a 4-H queen, she can be seen wearing a crown and scarf.
辉
huī
radiance
光 + 军
ray + chariot
The army prince feels the best next to a chariot, rays radiantly bouncing off the shiny chrome and his crown.
帝
dì
sovereign
立lì + 冖 + 巾
stand up + crown + towel
You’ve heard of the story: “The Sovereign’s New Clothes”? The sovereign stands up in front of his subjects wearing only a crown and towel.
军
jūn
army, *chariot
冖 + 车
crown + vehicle
This prince is put in charge of the army. His symbol is the crowned chariot.
浑
hún
engulf
氵 + 军jūn
water + chariot
While chariot-driving on the beach, the prince is engulfed by a big wave of water.
豪
háo
unrestrained
(亠口冖) + 豕
tiara + sow
Princess Bling has been called Little Miss Piggy for her unrestrained vanity.
冗
rǒng
superfluous
冖 + 几
crown + wind
This prince is a royal airhead. He is really quite superfluous.
V
*tiara
亠 + 口 + 冖
top hat + mouth + crown
A tiara is a modified 高; a crown where the front part is taller
"This princess likes bling, especially her tiara." (Royal Family)
写
xiě
write
冖 + 与
crown + offer/slingshot
written offer of marriage from the crown
"The Crown Prince is learning to write at a desk, but his slingshot is underneath." (Royal Family)
亭
tíng
pavilion
V + 丁dīng
tiara + nail
"Princess Bling’s favorite pavilion looks like a tiara on a big nail." (Royal Family)
旁
páng
side [n.], *Columbus
立 + 冖 + 方fāng
stand up + crown + compass
"This prince is an adventurer. Like Columbus, he stands up to the crown with a compass by his side and declares 'the earth is round'." (Royal Family)
亮
liàng
shiny
V + 几
tiara + wind
"Princess Bling uses pressurized cans of air to clean her tiaras to make them shiny." (Royal Family)
带
dài
sash
卅 + 冖 + 巾
30 + crown + towel
"This princess is a beauty. Here she is the winner of a beauty pageant with a studded (30-jewel) crown and sash, her dress no bigger than a towel." (Royal Family)