Pinyin initial: "zh"

The Pinyin initial "zh" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "zh" 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 "zh" can appear in.

Mnemonics for zh

Zh is for James II of England (詹姆斯二世, zhān​mǔ​sī èr​shì).

Characters with zh

at first / suddenly / abruptly / to spread / (of hair) to stand on end / bristling

Mnemonic symbol: a Mohawk haircut. It fits the hair "to stand on end" and the character itself looks like a head with a Mohawk haircut facing towards the left.

James II of England (zh) tries out a Mohawk haircut (乍) in the ashram's bathroom (a4).
variant of 乙[zhe2]

Mnemonic symbol: a sickle.

James II of England of England (zh) inspects his new sickle (乛) in the elevator's kitchen (e2).
to arrive / most / to / until

= + + : Mnemonic symbol: one of these conveyor belts from which you pick up your suitcase when you arrived at an airport. James II of England (zh) finally got the package he was waiting for! He picks it up from the arrivals (至) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). In it is a flute (一), which he sticks into his nose (厶). He blows his nose, and boy, does a lot of clay (土) come out! He's glad to have a free nose again.
to take possession of / to occupy / to take up

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a yellow umbrella. James II of England occupies the anthill's bathroom (an4). He uses a pennant (⺊) stuck into a mandarin (口) to mark his territory, and stands there proudly with a yellow umbrella (占).
variant of 占[zhan4]
to observe / to divine
station / to stand / to halt / to stop / branch of a company or organization / website

= + : James II of England (zh) waits at the bus stop (站) inside of the anthill's bathroom (an4). He carries a very precious vase (立), which he protects with a yellow umbrella (占).
to stop / to prohibit / until / only

= + + : Mnemonic symbol: a barrier. James II of England (zh) is marking his area in the space station's living room (Ø3) with a big barrier (止), in front of which he sets up his pennant (⺊). He places a soldier left and right to the barrier, armed with a dinosaur bone (丨) and a flute (一) respectively.
"walk slowly" component in Chinese characters / see also 冬字頭|冬字头[dong1 zi4 tou2]

= 丿 + : Mnemonic symbol: In high heels, one can walk only slowly. James II of England (zh) is wearing high heels (夂) inside the space station's living room (Ø3). He's not only walking slowly (夂), he even slips on a banana (丿)! He's lucky to land on a boxing glove (又) though.
straight / upright / proper / main / principal / to correct / to rectify / exactly / just (at that time) / right (in that place) / (math.) positive

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a stick-figure with straight lines. James II of England (zh) really has to use the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4), but there's a stick-figure (正) blocking the stalls with a barrier (止). The stick-figure measures with a flute (一) whether James is tall enough to go. James stands very straight (正) to make himself as tall as possible.
first month of the lunar year
(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ... / (after a noun) person involved in ... / -er / -ist / (used after a number or 後|后[hou4] or 前[qian2] to refer to sth mentioned previously) / (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term) / (old) (used at the end of a command) / (old) this

= + : Mnemonic symbol: the sun (日) is wearing a crown (⺹). This reminds me of Louis XIV, le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, which will thus be the mnemonic symbol for 者. The crown (⺹) wearing sun (日), the Sun King (者) and James II of England (zh) are taking part in a writing contest in the elevator's living room (e3) to see who of them is the best author (作者).
(pronoun) this; these / (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) / (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing)

= + : James II of England (zh) is carrying a heavy book (文) in the elevator's bathroom (e4). This (这) book is so heavy that his gladiator sandals (辶) are sinking deep into the sand.
to know / to be aware

= + : Mnemonic symbol: Francis Bacon is attributed to have stated "scientia potentia est", "knowledge is power". I'll thus represent 知 by Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon (知) and James II of England (zh) are playing darts (矢) in front of the space station (Ø1). Because they lack a dart board they just use a mandarin (口).
really / truly / indeed / real / true / genuine

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a replicator. It generates real and genuine things out of nothing. Looks like a microwave with a cross as antenna. James II of England (zh) broke his replicator (真) in front of the encampment ((e)n1): the cross (十) on the top is broken. Using his toolbox (具), James II of England tries his best to fix it. Fortunately he has a genuine, authorized, real (真) replacement cross.
chief / head / elder / to grow / to develop / to increase / to enhance

= + + 丿 : The chief (长) is asking James II of England (zh) for help, because his wind wheel (丆) in the anglepod's living room (丆) isn't performing very well. After finding out that there's too much friction, James II of England uses a sickle (乛) to cut open a banana (丿) and uses the pulp to grease the wind wheel and enhance (长) its performance.
"claw" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 87)

Mnemonic symbol: the strokes of this character remind me of a smiling mouth over a beard; thus, I'll represent it by an electric razor. James II of England (zh) uses his electric razor (爫) to shave his beard in the aorta's living room (ao3).
to touch / to come in contact with / to feel / to be affected by / to catch fire / to burn / (coll.) to fall asleep / (after a verb) hitting the mark / succeeding in

= + : In the aorta's kitchen (ao2), James II of England (zh) has first contact (着) with the sheep's (羊) wool. He is so amazed by the feeling that he can't stop cuddling with the sheep and finally falls asleep (着). Unfortunately the Eye of Providence (目) watches all of it and is so jealous that it catches fire (着).
(chess) move / trick / all right! / (dialect) to add
aspect particle indicating action in progress

= + : James II of England (zh) cuddles with the sheep (羊) also on the roof of the aorta (e5), and again the Eye of Providence (目) catches fire (着) out of jealousy as it watches the action in progress(着).