Pinyin "zhi3"

In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "zhi3" is split up into two parts: "zh" and "Ø3". 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 "Ø3"

In the space station's living room.

Characters pronounced zhi3

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.
only / merely / just / but

= + : Mnemonic symbol: this character looks like something (a head?) on two legs. I'll just represent it by a cuttlefish (只). James II of England (zh) has been in the space station (Ø3) as the only (只) one for too long and went mad. He thinks he's holding a mandarin (口), but he's just about to bite into merely (只) an eight ball (八). On the top of his head is a cuttlefish (只) he mistook for a hat.
variant of 只[zhi3]
variant of 只[zhi3]
paper / CL:張|张[zhang1],沓[da2] / classifier for documents, letter etc

= + : James II of England (zh) is reading a newspaper (纸) in the space station (Ø3) as he discovers a silk worm (纟) is looking out of a big hole at him. James II of England is very angry at the silk worm, but he doesn't understand that the silk worm wanted to warn him against a great threat: Christopher MacLeod (氏) is standing behind him ready to kill him and take his super power. The silk worm in turn doesn't know that Christopher MacLeod has in fact come for him: he wants to have the super power of turning into a beautiful butterfly.
variant of 紙|纸[zhi3]
imperial decree / purport / aim / purpose

= + : James II of England (zh) received an imperial decree (旨) to read it to all the other inhabitants of the space station (Ø3). He reads to the sun (日) that from now on they'll have to wear a ladle (匕) as a hat, so both of them immediately put ladles on their heads.
finger / to point at or to / to indicate or refer to / to depend on / to count on / (of hair) to stand on end

= + : James II of England (zh) received another imperial decree (旨) In the space station (Ø3). Because his finger (指) nails (指甲) are so long, he has to use a toy claw (扌) to open the letter. In the decree it is written that he shall cut his finger nails because they are the only human objects than can be seen from earth without visual aide.
location / site / foundation of a building

= + : James II of England (zh) found some old documents describing the location (址) of an old pirate treasure chest inside the space station (Ø3). He marks off the territory with a barrier (止) and builds up a huge pile of earth (土) as he digs for the treasure.
foundation of a building (variant of 址[zhi3]) / islet (variant of 沚[zhi3])
4th note in pentatonic scale 五音[wu3 yin1], roughly sol / see also 徵|征[zheng1]
ester
toe
angelica (type of iris) / plant root used in TCM
felicity
embroidery