正

first month of the lunar year

straight / upright / proper / main / principal / to correct / to rectify / exactly / just (at that time) / right (in that place) / (math.) positive

正 = 一 + 止 : Mnemonic symbol: a stick-figure with straight lines. James II of England (zh) really has to use the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4), but there's a stick-figure (正) blocking the stalls with a barrier (止). The stick-figure measures with a flute (一) whether James is tall enough to go. James stands very straight (正) to make himself as tall as possible.

正 character breakdown

正
- 一
- 止
  - 一
  - 上
    - 一
    - 丨
    - 二
      - 一
    - ⺊
      - 一
      - 丨
    - 丄
      - 一
      - 丨
  - 丨
  - ⺊
    - 一
    - 丨
  - 丄
    - 一
    - 丨

一

yi̅ = y + Ø1

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

Maud Younger (y) forgot her keys to the space station (Ø1), all she brought outside was her flute (一). She has no choice but to crash the door with the giant flute.

止

zhǐ = zh + Ø3

to stop / to prohibit / until / only

止 = ⺊ + 丨 + 一 : 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.

Characters with 正 as component

征

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

journey / trip / expedition / to go on long campaign / to attack

征

徵

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

to invite / to recruit / to levy (taxes) / to draft (troops) / phenomenon / symptom / characteristic sign (used as proof) / evidence

征 = 彳 + 正 : James II of England (zh) recruited (征) the stick figure (正) to join him on an expedition (征). Legend has it that an ancient civilization left their black sneakers (彳) in front of the engine ((e)ng1). After they dug up most of the ground they finally find the sneakers.

旋

xuàn = xu + an4

to whirl / immediately / variant of 鏇|镟[xuan4]

旋

xuán = xu + an2

to revolve / a loop / a circle

旋 = 方 + 𠂉 + 正 : Mnemonic symbol: a whirlwind.

Xu Xian (xu) is delivering packets in the anthill's kitchen (an2). First he has to disable the alarm, so he uses the key (𠂉) to open a square (方) and pushes the button. Next he whirls around the room delivering his packets so quickly that he creates a whirlwind (旋), which is so fierce that the stick figure (正) gets blown all around the room.

歪

wa̅i = w + ai1

askew / at a crooked angle / devious / noxious / (coll.) to lie on one's side

歪 = 不 + 正 : Willy Walrus (w) and the stick figure (正) have been riding a carousel in front of the airplane (ai1) for too long. As they get off they sway (歪) a lot and aren't able to walk on a straight line anymore. They didn't see that there was a forbidden-sign (歪) hanging on the carousel because it's going way too fast.

歪

wǎi = w + ai3

to sprain (one's ankle) (Tw)

政

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

political / politics / government

政 = 攵 + 正 : As James II of England (zh) became a powerful politician (政) he used his power for many crazy laws. For example, he once ordered a stick figure (正) to tear down the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) using a sledgehammer (攵).

证

證

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

certificate / proof / to prove / to demonstrate / to confirm / variant of 症[zheng4]

证 = 正 + 讠 : James II of England (zh) is not allowed to stay any longer in the engine, so in the bathroom ((e)ng4) he forges a visa (证) so he can stay. On an advertising column (讠) he scribbles his fake visa, but (like me) he sucks at drawing, so he is only able to draw a stick figure (正) where his photo should go.

证

証

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

to admonish / variant of 證|证[zheng4]

症

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

disease / illness

症 = 正 + 疒 : The stick figure (正) is visiting James II of England (zh) in the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) to have him investigate his colorful rash (疒). Unfortunately James II of England has to tell him that he has cancer (症).

症

癥

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

abdominal tumor / bowel obstruction / (fig.) sticking point

延

yán = y + an2

to prolong / to extend / to delay

延 = 廴 + 正 : Maud Younger (y) is playing Go on a Go board (廴) against the stick-figure (正) in the anthill's kitchen (an2), but Maud Younger is playing remotely via a computer. Maud is losing and she's blaming the lag (延) she's experiencing through her slow connection.