之乎者也

lit. 之[zhi1], 乎[hu1], 者[zhe3] and 也[ye3] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions

Characters and words in 之乎者也

之

zhi̅ = zh + Ø1

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it

之 = 丶 + Z : Mnemonic symbol: Sooo sleepy... "zZz" (the character looks like a "Z"). James II of England (zh) fell asleep in front of the space station (Ø1). He sleeps on a big petal leaf (丶), making loud "zZz" (之) sounds.

乎

hu̅ = hu + Ø1

(classical particle similar to 於|于[yu2]) in / at / from / because / than / (classical final particle similar to 嗎|吗[ma5], 吧[ba5], 呢[ne5], expressing question, doubt or astonishment)

乎 = 丿 + 䒑 + 亅 : Helga Horse had too much weed in front of the space station. She thinks that she's eating a banana, but she's just munching on a crowbar. Moreover she's under the impression that she's a chubby and is very astonished.

者

zhě = zh + e3

(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

者 = ⺹ + 日 : 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).

也

yě = y + e3

also / too / (in Classical Chinese) final particle implying affirmation

也 = ㇆ + 丨 + 乚 : Mnemonic symbol: the excavator (as in a person with this job), because a plow and a shovel are both tools for moving earth, and a dinosaur bone is what excavators are digging for.

Maud Younger (y) is helping an excavator (也) in the elevator (e3). Together they are excavating a dinosaur bone (丨): Maud turns the earth with a plow (㇆), while the excavator moves the earth with a shovel (乚).

也

yě = y + e3

(adverb) also; both ... and ... (before predicates only) / (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊[a5]