口 Trumpeter Wu

These are the characters in this series. You can review them and quiz yourself at the bottom. To see them put together in an illustrated story, go to Lessons: Extension.

shào

whistle
口 + 肖xiào
mouth + resemble

his mouth’s whistle resembles a bird’s OR “He resembles his father, the whistler.” (Trumpeter Wu)

chǎo

noisy
口 + 少shǎo
mouth + few

even a few mouths can be noisy OR "He’s got a few noisy riffs." (Trumpeter Wu)

shá

wha?
口 + 舍shè
mouth + abode

He’s with a friend: “Wha’s happenin’ in the abode?” (Trumpeter Wu)

diào

dangle
口 + 巾
mouth + towel

piece of napkin dangles from your mouth OR “a banner dangled below” (his horn) (Trumpeter Wu)

Wu
口 + 天
mouth + heavens

口天吴: this family hopes to taste heaven OR Trumpeter Wu: what comes from his mouth is heaven

waaah!
口 + 圭
mouth + bricks

shattering cry like bricks coming out of a mouth

“Lean on the brick wall, and you can feel his waaah!” (Trumpeter Wu)

amusement
女 + 吴wú
woman + Wu

Trumpeter Wu has a day of amusement planned with his woman.

xiǎng

echo [n.]
口 + 向xiàng
mouth + orientation

use mouth to get orientation from your echo OR “Wha’s happenin’?” he echoes. “Let me give you an orientation.” (Trumpeter Wu)

spit [v.]
口 + 土tǔ
mouth + soil

“And with his dip, of course comes spittin’ in the soil.” (Trumpeter Wu)

sǎng

voice box
口 + 桑sāng
mouth + mulberry tree

“When his voice box is sore, mulberry juice does the trick.” (Trumpeter Wu)

!!
口 + 拉lā
mouth + pull

一二三:la!! pull the Singaporians out OR "He pulls the la!! from inside." (Trumpeter Wu)

chuī

blow [v.]
口 + 欠
mouth + lack

when you blow, your mouth lacks air OR “His blow lacks no thrill." (Trumpeter Wu)

leaf
口 + 十
mouth + ten

“His other bad habit is leaf, ten at a time in his lower lip.” (Trumpeter Wu)

ha!
口 + 合hé
mouth + fit

In the dressing room: “Ha!” when it doesn’t fit. OR "Ha! It fit." (Trumpeter Wu)

fēi

coffee—last drop
口 + 非fēi
mouth + jail cell

keep drinking and get addicted

“He is locked into the coffee before the second set; can't perform without it.” (Trumpeter Wu)

trumpet
口 + 八bā
mouth + eight

“But with a trumpet, he could scale those eight notes up and down.” (Trumpeter Wu)

bugle
口 + 束 + 刂
mouth + bundle + sword

mouth of a bugle announcing the bundle of swords has arrived OR “As a bugle boy, he had a bundle of sticks on his back and a bayonet in front.” (Trumpeter Wu)

coffee—first drop
口 + 加jiā
mouth + add

taste the coffee and need to add something

"He adds coffee to his warm-up routine to sail him through the first set." (Trumpeter Wu)

shout [v.]
口 + 乎hū
mouth + ooh!

mouth shouts ooh! OR “And ooh! he can shout.” (Trumpeter Wu)

huí

return [v.]
囗 + 口
enclose + mouth

picture of a circle revolving in another

"And with that, the cycle is complete, and he’s headed home." (Trumpeter Wu)

jiào

call [v.]
口 + 丩jiū
mouth + horn

use mouth on the horn to call out

“His first horn was a straight one, just meant for callin’ the troops.” (Trumpeter Wu)

drink [v.]
口 + 曷hé
mouth + siesta

a drink next to your hammock

“When the gig is over, it is time for a drink and siesta.” (Trumpeter Wu)

chàng

sing
口 + 昌chāng
mouth + prosperous

alternatively: 口+日+日 mouth + sun + day; You singSunny Day” from Sesame Street.

“On a sunny day, he’ll sing.” (Trumpeter Wu)

口 Trumpeter Wu

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