休

surname Xiu

休 = 亻 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a folding chair

休 = 亻 + 木 : Rosa Luxemburg took Marie Curie for a long trip to the outhouse, and now Marie Curie is tired. Luckily there's a nice and big Christmas tree in front of the outhouse, so Rosa Luxemburg sets up Marie's folding chair in its shadow to let her rest.

休

xiu̅ = xi + ou1

to rest / to stop doing sth for a period of time / to cease / (imperative) don't

休 = 亻 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a folding chair

休 character breakdown

休
- 亻
  - 丨
  - 丿
- 木
  - 八
    - 丿
    - ㇏
  - 十
    - 一
    - 丨

亻

rén = r + (e)n2

"person" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 9)

亻 = 丿 + 丨 : Mnemonic symbol: Rosa Luxemburg. She's quite radical, and her name starts with "r", just like "ren2". Also, 亻appears at the left-hand side of characters, and Rosa is a leftist as well.

Robinson Crusoe (r) and Rosa Luxemburg (亻) are having their favorite snacks in the encampment's kitchen: Rosa is eating a banana (丿) and Robinson is eating a dinosaur bone (丨).

木

mù = mu + Ø4

surname Mu

木

mù = mu + Ø4

tree / wood / coffin / wooden / simple / numb / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]

木 = 八 + 十 : Mnemonic symbol: a Christmas tree. Malte Monkey is putting up a Christmas tree (木) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). He's using a cross (十) as a base to put the tree on, and decorates the tree with eight-balls (八).

木

mù = mu + Ø4

(bound form) tree / (bound form) wood / unresponsive; numb; wooden