Pinyin initial: "l"

The Pinyin initial "l" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "l" belongs to the group of Pinyin initials which are represented in mnemonics by men. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "l" can appear in.

Mnemonics for l

L is for Sir Lancelot.

Characters with l

了
le = l + e5
(completed action marker) / (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) / (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
了 = 乛 + 亅 : Sir Lancelot (l) has completed (了) his preparations to fight the world. There he stands ready, on top of the Elevator (e5), with a sickle (乛) and a crowbar (亅) in his hands.
来
來
lái = l + ai2
to come / to arrive / to come round / ever since / next
來 = 从 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: mailwoman. Sir Lancelot (l) is visiting the mailwoman (來) in the airplane's kitchen (ai2). As a gift, he brought a Christmas tree (木) decorated with rubber chicken (从).
来 = 丷 + 未 : Mnemonic symbol: mailwoman. Lancelot (l) is super happy that his inflatable crocodile (丷) and live size Ai Weiwei (未) puppet finally arrived (来). The mailwoman (来) delivered them straight to the kitchen of the airplane (ai2).
老
lǎo = l + ao3
prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person) / experienced / of long standing / always / all the time / of the past / very / outdated / (of meat etc) tough
老 = ⺹ + 匕 : Lancelot (l) is showing his respect to grandpa (老) in the aorta's living room (ao3). He's bowing deep and offering a crown (⺹), but grandpa refuses by hitting Lancelot on the head with a ladle (匕).
娄
婁
lóu = l + ou2
surname Lou / one of the 28 lunar mansions in Chinese astronomy
娄 = 女 + 米 : Bessie Coleman (女) invited Sir Lancelot (l) over for dinner in her lunar mansion (娄) in the outhouse's kitchen (ou2). Because Lancelot is extremely hungry, he brings a sack of rice (米) as a present for his host.
楼
樓
lóu = l + ou2
house with more than 1 story / storied building / floor / CL:層|层[ceng2],座[zuo4],棟|栋[dong4]
楼 = 娄 + 木 : In the outhouse's kitchen (ou2), Sir Lancelot (l) set up a Christmas tree (木) next to his lunar mansion (娄). Lancelot made himself a Christmas present by adding another floor on top of his lunar mansion. His lunar mansion now is a big, storied building (楼).
楼
樓
lóu = l + ou2
surname Lou
楼 = 娄 + 木 : In the outhouse's kitchen (ou2), Sir Lancelot (l) set up a Christmas tree (木) next to his lunar mansion (娄). Lancelot made himself a Christmas present by adding another floor on top of his lunar mansion. His lunar mansion now is a big, storied building (楼).
冷
lěng = l + (e)ng3
surname Leng
冷 = 令 + 冫 : Inside of the engine, Sir Lancelot kind of misuses the superpower the emperor gave him. He shows everyone his 令牌 and tells them that it is his task to collect all really nice and cool popsicles so that he can cool down a bit.
冷
lěng = l + (e)ng3
cold
冷 = 令 + 冫 : Inside of the engine, Sir Lancelot kind of misuses the superpower the emperor gave him. He shows everyone his 令牌 and tells them that it is his task to collect all really nice and cool popsicles so that he can cool down a bit.
累
lěi = l + ei3
to accumulate / to involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lei4]) / continuous / repeated
累 = 田 + 糸 : Sir Lancelot (l) is working on an excavation field (田) in the Eiffel Tower (ei3). He has been excavating lots and lots of silken scarves (糸) and ropes (累). The scavers and ropes are accumulating (累) on two heaps to his left and right side respectively.
累
纍
léi = l + ei2
rope / to bind together / to twist around
累 = 田 + 糸 : Sir Lancelot (l) planted a field (田) in the Eiffel Tower's kitchen (ei2) and knotted a lot of ropes (累) and silken scarves (糸) together to create a fence and mark off his territory.
累
lèi = l + ei4
tired / weary / to strain / to wear out / to work hard
累 = 田 + 糸 : Sir Lancelot (l) worked all day on his field (田) in the Eiffel Tower's bathroom (ei4) and is extremely tired (累). He swipes off the sweat on his forehead with a silken scarf (糸) and holds tight to a rope (累) hanging from the ceiling to not fall down from exhaustion.
累
纍
léi = l + ei2
surname Lei
拉
la̅ = l + a1
to pull / to play (a bowed instrument) / to drag / to draw / to chat / (coll.) to empty one's bowels
拉 = 扌 + 立 : In front of the ashram, sir Lancelot tries to make some music using a fiddlestick and a vase by bowing along the opening of the vase. Maybe he would be successful if he put down that silly toy claw.
拉 = 扌 + 立 : Mnemonic symbol: a fiddlestick
乐
樂
lè = l + e4
surname Le
乐 = ⺁ + 朩 : Mnemonic symbol: a cheerleader
乐 = ⺁ + 朩 : In the elevator's bathroom, the cheerleader is beating Lancelot on the head with a banana tree just when Lancelot isn't watching, and laughing at him cheerfully. The cheerleader sneaked up on Lancelot by popping out of a sewage pipe.
乐
樂
lè = l + e4
happy / cheerful / to laugh
乐 = ⺁ + 朩 : In the elevator's bathroom, the cheerleader is beating Lancelot on the head with a banana tree just when Lancelot isn't watching, and laughing at him cheerfully. The cheerleader sneaked up on Lancelot by popping out of a sewage pipe.
乐 = ⺁ + 朩 : Mnemonic symbol: a cheerleader
蓝
藍
lán = l + an2
surname Lan
蓝 = 艹 + 监 : Lancelot (l) as been trapped in a cage (监) in the anthill's kitchen (an2) for quite some time now and all he gets to eat are blue-green (蓝) algae. Once the blue-green algae have been processed by his body, they change into artificial lawn (艹) which his captors remove from his cage to sell it.
蓝
藍
lán = l + an2
blue / indigo plant
蓝 = 艹 + 监 : Lancelot (l) as been trapped in a cage (监) in the anthill's kitchen (an2) for quite some time now and all he gets to eat are blue-green (蓝) algae. Once the blue-green algae have been processed by his body, they change into artificial lawn (艹) which his captors remove from his cage to sell it.
篮
籃
lán = l + an2
basket (receptacle) / basket (in basketball)
篮 = ⺮ + 监 : Sir Lancelot (l) has been put into a prison cage (监) in the anthill's kitchen (an2). There is a basketball hoop (篮) inside his cage, but every time he is about to dump one, someone sticks a bamboo stick (⺮) into the cage and prevents the ball from going trough the net just to annoy Lancelot.
类
類
lèi = l + ei4
kind / type / class / category / similar / like / to resemble
类 = 大 + 米 : Lancelot (l) wants to save mankind (类), so he plans to breed the perfect rice plant. To find the perfect seed he programmed a robot (大) to classify (类) every corn of a sack of rice (米) in the Eiffel Tower's bathroom (ei4) so he can choose the best one.
落
là = l + a4
to leave out / to be missing / to leave behind or forget to bring / to lag or fall behind