So here's Maud Younger playing her flute in front of the space station. But why? Does this even make sense? Let me explain. First, the flute: It is a representation of the shape of the character 一. Doesn't it look like a flute? At least when you try to exalt your imagination? So, whenever 一 appears in other characters, it will be referenced by as a flute in the mnemonic's story. That way, when you recall the picture in your mind and you see a flute, you'll know that there's 一 involved.
Now, for the setting. There's a pretty clever break up of pinyin syllables into chuncks to which then can be assigned mnemonics on this blog. Following this system of pinyin decomposition, "yi1" starts with "y" as in Maud Younger, the American activist. For now it's enough to mention that because there is an "i" in "yi1" the mnemonic uses a women, and because there's nothing more after "i" the location is the space station, and because it's the fourth tone it's in the space station's bathroom. You can read more about this system on the Gorodish index page.
Now all this wouldn't be needed for such a simple character as this one; this is just a preparation for more complex characters.
一 |
|
y |
Y is for Maud Younger add a painting | |
Ø1 |
"Ø1" is happening in front of the space station. add a painting | |
一
yi1
吐
tu3
为
wei2
快
kuai4 | to get sth off one's chest | |
一
yi1
面
mian4 | one side / one aspect / simultaneously... (and...) / one's whole face | |
万
wan4
无
wu2
一
yi1
失
shi1 | surefire; absolutely safe (idiom) | |
焕
huan4
然
ran2
一
yi1
新
xin1 | to look completely new (idiom); brand new / changed beyond recognition | |
下
xia4
一
yi1
代
dai4 | the next generation | |
一
yi1
家
jia1
子
zi5 | the whole family | |
一
yi1
方
fang1
面
mian4 | one aspect is | |
一
yi1
年
nian2
四
si4
季
ji4 | all year round | |
一
yi1
席
xi2
话
hua4 | the content of a conversation / words / remarks | |
一
yi1
窝
wo1
蜂
feng1 | like a swarm of bees / everyone swarms around pushing and shouting / a hornet's nest | |
一
yi1
般
ban1
而
er2
言
yan2 | generally speaking | |
沆
hang4
瀣
xie4
一
yi1
气
qi4 | to act in collusion (idiom); in cahoots with / villains will look after one another | |
一
yi1
拍
pai1
即
ji2
合
he2 | lit. on the beat, together now (idiom); Start dancing! / fig. things fit together at one go / to click together / to chime in easily | |
一
yi1
言
yan2
一
yi1
行
xing2 | every word and action (idiom) | |
风
feng1
靡
mi3
一
yi1
时
shi2 | fashionable for a while (idiom); all the rage | |
百
bai3
分
fen1
之
zhi1
一
yi1
百
bai3 | one hundred percent / totally (effective) | |
一
yi1
口
kou3
咬
yao3
定
ding4 | to arbitrarily assert / to allege / to stick to one's statement / to cling to one's view | |
一
yi1
见
jian4
倾
qing1
心
xin1 | love at first sight | |
一
yi1
则
ze2 | on the one hand | |
一
yi1
步
bu4
登
deng1
天
tian1 | reaching heaven in a single bound (idiom); (esp. with negative: don't expect) instant success | |
一
yi1
气
qi4
之
zhi1
下
xia4 | in a fit of pique / in a fury | |
一
yi1
窍
qiao4
不
bu4
通
tong1 | lit. doesn't (even) enter a single aperture (of one's head) / I don't understand a word (idiom) / it's all Greek to me | |
一
yi1
身
shen1 | whole body / from head to toe / single person / a suit of clothes | |
一
yi1
头
tou2 | one head / a head full of sth / one end (of a stick) / one side / headlong / directly / rapidly / simultaneously | |
一
yi1
臂
bi4
之
zhi1
力
li4 | (lend) a helping hand | |
一
yi1
个
ge4
个
ge4 | each and every one | |
一
yi1
干
gan1
二
er4
净
jing4 | thoroughly (idiom) / completely / one and all / very clean | |
济
ji3
济
ji3
一
yi1
堂
tang2 | to congregate in one hall (idiom); to gather under one roof | |
整
zheng3
齐
qi2
划
hua4
一
yi1 | to be adjusted to uniformity (usually of weights and measures) (idiom) | |
一
yi1
诺
nuo4
千
qian1
金
jin1 | a promise worth one thousand in gold (idiom); a promise that must be kept | |
独
du2
当
dang1
一
yi1
面
mian4 | to assume personal responsibility (idiom); to take charge of a section | |
一
yi1
锤
chui2
定
ding4
音
yin1 | lit. to fix the tone with a single hammer blow / fig. to make the final decision | |
一
yi1
技
ji4
之
zhi1
长
chang2 | proficiency in a particular field (idiom) / skill in a specialized area (idiom) | |
一
yi1
笑
xiao4
置
zhi4
之
zhi1 | to dismiss with a laugh / to make light of | |
不
bu4
可
ke3
一
yi1
世
shi4 | to consider oneself unexcelled in the world / to be insufferably arrogant | |
一
yi1
般
ban1
性
xing4 | general / in general terms / generalized | |
一
yi1
溜
liu4
烟
yan1 | like a wisp of smoke / (to disappear etc) in an instant | |
一
yi1
动
dong4
不
bu4
动
dong4 | motionless | |
一
yi1
氧
yang3
化
hua4
碳
tan4 | carbon monoxide CO | |
奄
yan3
奄
yan3
一
yi1
息
xi1 | dying / at one's last gasp |