Pinyin "zai1"

In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "zai1" is split up into two parts: "z" and "ai1". You can visit the Pinyin index to see how other Pinyin syllables are split up into initials and finals.

Mnemonics for Pinyin initial "z"

Z is for Zorro.

Mnemonics for Pinyin final "ai1"

In front of the airplane.

Characters pronounced zai1

灾
災
za̅i = z + ai1
disaster / calamity
灾 = 宀 + 火 : Zorro (z) just earned his PhD and is celebrating it with a bonfire (火) in front of the airplane (ai1), but then he accidentally drops his graduation cap (宀) and his certificate into the fire! What a disaster (灾)!
灾
菑
za̅i = z + ai1
old variant of 災|灾[zai1]
灾 = 宀 + 火 : Zorro (z) just earned his PhD and is celebrating it with a bonfire (火) in front of the airplane (ai1), but then he accidentally drops his graduation cap (宀) and his certificate into the fire! What a disaster (灾)!
灾
烖
za̅i = z + ai1
variant of 災|灾[zai1]
灾 = 宀 + 火 : Zorro (z) just earned his PhD and is celebrating it with a bonfire (火) in front of the airplane (ai1), but then he accidentally drops his graduation cap (宀) and his certificate into the fire! What a disaster (灾)!
栽
za̅i = z + ai1
to plant; to grow / to insert; to erect (e.g. a bus stop sign) / to impose sth on sb / to stumble; to fall down
栽
za̅i = z + ai1
to grow / to plant / to insert / to force on sb / to fall head first
栽 = 𢦏 + 木 : Zorro (z) is taking care of his bonsai Christmas tree (木) in front of the airplane (ai1). He plants (栽) it into a bigger flower pot, and after cutting (𢦏) some of its branches he sews (𢦏) the tree's wounds.
哉
za̅i = z + ai1
(exclamatory or interrogative particle)
甾
za̅i = z + ai1
steroid nucleus