Pinyin final: "a1"

The Pinyin final "a1" is used in the second half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the second half of a Pinyin syllable is always represented by a location. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "a1" can appear in.

Mnemonics for a1

In front of the ashram.

Characters with a1

加
jia̅ = ji + a1
to add / plus / (used after an adverb such as 不, 大, 稍 etc, and before a disyllabic verb, to indicate that the action of the verb is applied to sth or sb previously mentioned) / to apply (restrictions etc) to (sb) / to give (support, consideration etc) to (sth)
加 = 力 + 口 : Mnemonic symbol from 加油: cheerleaders' pom poms.
加 = 力 + 口 : Joan of Arc works on her cheerleading skills in front of the ashram. For the grande finale of her performance she prepared special effects: at the very end of her performance she hits a power button on the floor with her foot, which starts mandarins shooting from her pom poms.
加
jia̅ = ji + a1
Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4]) / surname Jia
加
jia̅ = ji + a1
abbr. for Canada 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4] / surname Jia
加 = 力 + 口 : Mnemonic symbol from 加油: cheerleaders' pom poms.
加 = 力 + 口 : Joan of Arc works on her cheerleading skills in front of the ashram. For the grande finale of her performance she prepared special effects: at the very end of her performance she hits a power button on the floor with her foot, which starts mandarins shooting from her pom poms.
咖
ka̅ = k + a1
coffee / class / grade
咖 = 加 + 口 : Karl Marx (k) is drinking extremely strong coffee (咖) in front of the ashram (a1). The coffee is so strong that Karl Marx has troubles spending his energy: he is balancing on a big mandarin (口) and dancing wildly with a pom pom (加) in his other hand.
呵
a̅ = Ø + a1
variant of 啊[a1]
八
ba̅ = b + a1
eight; 8
八 = 丿 + ㇏ : Mnemonic symbol: an eight-ball.

Beelzebub (b-) wants to find new ways to lure people into playing pool billiard. To this end he is meditating on top of an eight-ball (八) in front of the Ashram (a1). He uses a finger (㇏) and a banana (丿) as incense to create the right atmosphere.
查
zha̅ = zh + a1
surname Zha
查
zha̅ = zh + a1
variant of 楂[zha1]
叭
ba̅ = b + a1
denote a sound or sharp noise (gunfire etc)
叭 = 八 + 口 : Beelzebub (b) is firing eight-balls (八) at mandarins (口) in front of the ashram (a1) just because he likes the sound (叭) of the gunfire and of the eight-balls crushing the mandarins.
他
ta̅ = t + a1
he; him (used for either sex when the sex is unknown or unimportant) / (used before sb's name for emphasis) / (used as a meaningless mock object) / (literary) other
他 = 也 + 亻 : Tecumseh (t) was discovered when Rosa Luxemburg (亻) excavated (也) him (他) in front of the ashram (a1).
砂
sha̅ = sh + a1
sand / gravel / granule / variant of 沙[sha1]
砂 = 石 + 少 : Sherlock Holmes (sh) wants to join the ashram. In front of the ashram (a1) he has to grind a rock (石) into sand (砂) while Smiley (少) is supervising him in order to prove himself.
瞎
xia̅ = xi + a1
blind / groundlessly / foolishly / to no purpose
瞎 = 害 + 目 : Calamity Jane (害) surprises the Eye of Providence (目) for no specific reason (瞎) in front of the ashram (a1) by blinding (瞎) it from behind with her hands. The Eye of Providence takes a wild guess (瞎) and exclaims that it must be Marie Curie (xi) blinding him, which makes Calamity Jane very jealous.
家
jia̅ = ji + a1
home / family / (polite) my (sister, uncle etc) / classifier for families or businesses / refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China / noun suffix for a specialist in some activity, such as a musician or revolutionary, corresponding to English -ist, -er, -ary or -ian / CL:個|个[ge4]
家 = 宀 + 豕 : Mnemonic symbol: a framed "home sweet home" picture.

The swine (豕) graduated and wearing a graduation cap (宀), it came home to the ashram. In front of it (a1), Joan of Arc (ji) welcomes the swine and hugs it. To welcome her dear swine, she put a gigantic home sweet home (家) picture in front of the ashram.
家
傢
jia̅ = ji + a1
see 傢伙|家伙[jia1 huo5]
凹
wa̅ = w + a1
variant of 窪|洼[wa1] / (used in names)
杀
殺
sha̅ = sh + a1
to kill / to murder / to attack / to weaken or reduce / to smart (dialect) / (used after a verb) extremely
杀 = 乂 + 朩 : Sherlock Holmes (sh) is messing around with a sewage pipe sticking out of the floor (朩) in front of the ashram (a1) using pliers (乂). To reduce (杀) the marks he left he is trying to rub them off with an eraser (杀).
丷
ba̅ = b + a1
"eight" component in Chinese characters / archaic variant of 八[ba1]
Mnemonic symbol: a crocodile with mean eyes. Beelzebub (b) is fighting with eight crocodiles (丷) in front of the ashram (a1).
夹
夾
jia̅ = ji + a1
to press from either side / to place in between / to sandwich / to carry sth under armpit / wedged between / between / to intersperse / to mix / to mingle / clip / folder / Taiwan pr. [jia2]
夹 = 丷 + 夫 : The mean crocodile (丷) is waiting for the bus to go to work in front of the ashram (a1). He prepared to sandwiches (夹) for lunch: One with Joan of Arc (ji) and one with a construction worker (夫).
垃
la̅ = l + a1
used in 垃圾[la1 ji1] / Taiwan pr. [le4]
垃 = 土 + 立 : Lancelot (l) unearthed some radioactive waste (垃) in front of the ashram (a1). He puts it into a vase (立) and closes the vase by filling it up with earth (土). Then he shoots it into space - someone up there will surely know what to do with it.
刮
gua̅ = gu + a1
to scrape / to blow / to shave / to plunder / to extort
刮 = 刂 + 舌 : In front of the ashram (a1) a terrible wind is blowing (刮). Gitta Giraffe (gu) can only advance by cutting the wind with a kitchen knife (刂). The wind is so strong that Gitta's tongue (舌) is being pulled out of her mouth and getting longer and longer.