Pinyin "zhen1"

In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "zhen1" is split up into two parts: "zh" and "(e)n1". You can visit the Pinyin index to see how other Pinyin syllables are split up into initials and finals.

Mnemonics for Pinyin initial "zh"

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

Mnemonics for Pinyin final "(e)n1"

In front of the encampment.

Characters pronounced zhen1

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.
needle / pin / injection / stitch / CL:根[gen1],支[zhi1]

= + : James II of England (zh) found a huge cross made from a bone and a flute (十) with a golden harpoon (钅) sticking in the bone in front of the encampment ((e)n1). He wants to find out where it came from, so he uses a needle (针) to draw bone marrow from the bone to analyze its DNA, and it turns out that it once belonged to a white whale.
variant of 針|针[zhen1], needle
variant of 珍[zhen1]
precious thing / treasure / culinary delicacy / rare / valuable / to value highly

= + : Martin Luther King (王) tells James II of England (zh) that him wearing a big white Afro (㐱) is cultural appropriation and that he should get rid of it in front of the encampment ((e)n1), but James II of England cries out that his Afro is a precious thing (珍) to him, a real treasure (珍), and begs Martin Luther King to allow him to keep it.
chaste

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a girdle of chastity. James II of England (zh) wants to get rid of his girdle of chastity (贞). In front of the encampment ((e)n1) he asks the crab (贝) to destroy the girdle, but the crab waves with a pennant (⺊) instead to alarm the royal guard.
to scout / to spy / to detect

= + : Rosa Luxemburg (亻) is detecting (侦) a crime in front of the encampment ((e)n1). She only has to do very little detective (侦) work to find out that the James II of England (zh) broke the law by removing his chastity belt (贞).
old variant of 偵|侦[zhen1]
to distinguish / to evaluate
surname Zhen
auspicious / lucky
to arrive / to reach (esp. perfection) / utmost / (used in commercials)
evergreen shrub
hazel tree / Corylus heterophylla
to warn / to admonish / variant of 針|针[zhen1]