Pinyin "gong1"
In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "gong1" is split up into two parts: "gu" and "(e)ng1". You can visit the Pinyin index to see how other Pinyin syllables are split up into initials and finals.
Mnemonics for Pinyin initial "gu"
Gu is for Gitta Giraffe.
Mnemonics for Pinyin final "(e)ng1"
In front of the engine.
Characters pronounced gong1
a bow (weapon) / CL:張|张[zhang1] / to bend / to arch (one's back etc)
Mnemonic symbol: a composite bow. Gitta Giraffe (gu) is shooting arrows with a composite bow (弓) in front of the engine ((e)ng1).
work / worker / skill / profession / trade / craft / labor
工
=
二
+
丨
:
Mnemonic symbol: a steel beam, since 工 looks like the cross section of a steel beam. In front of the engine ((e)ng1), Gitta Giraffe (gu) is doing some hard work: She's stacking a capacitor (二) on a dinosaur bone (丨) on a capacitor (二). She's not very successful, but then she gets the idea to use steel beams (工) as support.
public / collectively owned / common / international (e.g. high seas, metric system, calendar) / make public / fair / just / Duke, highest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4] / honorable (gentlemen) / father-in-law / male (animal)
公
=
八
+
厶
:
Gitta Giraffe has to deliver 100 eight balls to engine driving a magic bus. She is driving in front of the engine and because the load is so heavy, she is driving very slowly. Additionally, she tried to decrease the wind resistance by installing a large fake nose at the front of the bus.
meritorious deed or service / achievement / result / service / accomplishment / work (physics)
body (of a human, esp. the torso) / to bow / (literary) oneself; personally