查

zha̅ = zh + a1

surname Zha

chá = ch + a2

to research / to check / to investigate / to examine / to refer to / to look up (e.g. a word in a dictionary)

查 = 旦 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a detective.

查 = 旦 + 木 : Just inside the ashram's kitchen, the detective is investigating a passed out Charlie Chaplin who's lying under a Christmas tree. Could it have something to do with the big empty mug which was formerly filled with glühwein?

查

zha̅ = zh + a1

variant of 楂[zha1]

查 character breakdown

查
- 旦
  - 一
  - 日
    - 一
    - 囗
- 木
  - 八
    - 丿
    - ㇏
  - 十
    - 一
    - 丨

旦

dàn = d + an4

dawn / morning / daybreak / day / dan, female roles in Chinese opera (traditionally played by specialized male actors)

旦 = 一 + 日 : Mnemonic symbol: A big mug, since many people start the day with a mug of coffee.

Don Quixote (d) meets the sun (日) early in the morning (旦) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). Don Quixote is full of energy and can't wait to start into a new adventure, but since the sun is a morning grouch who only just started drinking her mug of coffee (mnemonic symbol for 旦) she cannot stand it and beats him over the head with a flute (一) to calm him a bit down.

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

Characters with 查 as component

渣

zha̅ = zh + a1

slag (in mining or smelting) / dregs

渣 = 查 + 氵 : James II of England (zh) finds a bottle of water (氵) in front of the ashram (a1) and gives it to a detective (查) to investigate the slag (渣).

楂

zha̅ = zh + a1

Chinese hawthorn

楂

chá = ch + a2

fell trees / raft / to hew

揸

zha̅ = zh + a1

to stretch fingers out

碴

chá = ch + a2

fault / glass fragment / quarrel