工

work / worker / skill / profession / trade / craft / labor

工 = 二 + 丨 : Mnemonic symbol: a steel beam, since 工 looks like the cross section of a steel beam. In front of the engine ((e)ng1), Gitta Giraffe (gu) is doing some hard work: She's stacking a capacitor (二) on a dinosaur bone (丨) on a capacitor (二). She's not very successful, but then she gets the idea to use steel beams (工) as support.

工 character breakdown

工
- 丨
- 二
  - 一

丨

gǔn = gu + (e)n3

radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 2)

Mnemonic symbol: a dinosaur bone. Gitta Giraffe (gu-) found a gorgeous dinosaur bone (丨) in the encampment's living room ((e)n3).

丨

shù = shu + Ø4

vertical stroke (in Chinese characters), referred to as 豎筆|竖笔[shu4 bi3]

Mnemonic symbol: a dinosaur bone. Sheldon Shrimp (shu) found a gorgeous dinosaur bone (丨) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) and is cracking it open to eat its bone marrow.

二

èr = Ø + Ø4

two / 2 / (Beijing dialect) stupid

二 = 一 : Mnemonic symbol: a capacitor, because the two strokes remind me of the symbol in electrical drawings. Albert Einstein (Ø) is experimenting with a capacitor (二) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). He finds that it's uncomfortable to discharge a capacitor using two flutes (一).

Characters with 工 as component

差

chà = ch + a4

different / wrong; mistaken / to fall short; to lack / not up to standard; inferior / Taiwan pr. [cha1]

差

cha̅i = ch + ai1

to send (on an errand) / (archaic) person sent on such an errand / job; official post

差

ci̅ = c + Ø1

used in 參差|参差[cen1 ci1]

差

cha̅ = ch + a1

difference; discrepancy / (math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction) / (literary) a little; somewhat; slightly

差 = 工 + 羊 : Charlie Chapling is juggling steel beams in front of the ashram. A sheep is making an error bar graph representing Charlie's number of tries to juggle as long as possible without letting the beams fall down.

式

shì = sh + Ø4

type / form / pattern / style

式 = 工 + 弋 : I'll use a specific style as mnemonic symbol: 哥特式, gothic.

Sherlock Holmes and the goth are celebrating a Viking festival in the space station's bathroom. They don't have trunks to throw around, so they use a steel beam. They also celebrate by practising archery. In zero gravity it is easy for them to set one world record after the next.

垂

chuí = chu + ei2

to hang (down) / droop / dangle / bend down / hand down / bequeath / nearly / almost / to approach

垂 = 壬 + 工 + 工 : The cat o' nine tails (壬) has been chasing Chantal Chicken (chu) all around the Eiffel Tower. In the kitchen (ei2) there is a weeping willow (垂, 垂柳) on which Chantal Chicken sits. Next to the willow, the cat o' nine tails is approaching. Both of them are holding a steel beam (工) in their hands to use as sword in their final encounter.

左

zuǒ = zu + o3

left / the Left (politics) / east / unorthodox / queer / wrong / differing / opposite / variant of 佐[zuo3]

左 = 𠂇 + 工 : Mnemonic symbol: a communist.

Zapatista Zebra (zu) and the communist (左) teamed up for once to sabotage capitalism. They start by trying to cut a steel beam (工) using scissors (𠂇) inside of the observatory (o3).

左

zuǒ = zu + o3

surname Zuo

空

ko̅ng = ku + (e)ng1

empty / air / sky / in vain

空 = 工 + 穴 : Mnemonic symbol: an air conditioner

空 = 工 + 穴 : In front of the engine, Karl Koala found some very special cave paintings. Using steel beams he constructs a protective cover. He also installs air conditioning to make the best environment possible to preserve the cave paintings.

空

kòng = ku + (e)ng4

to empty / vacant / unoccupied / space / leisure / free time