Pinyin initial: "qu"

The Pinyin initial "qu" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "qu" belongs to the group of Pinyin initials which are represented in mnemonics by deities. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "qu" can appear in.

Mnemonics for qu

Qu is for Cupid.

Characters with qu

dog / Kangxi radical 94

= + : Looks like a Saint Bernard dog with only one eye.

= + : Cupid wants to play fetch with the Saint Bernard dog in the anthill and throws a petal leaf over his head, but the dog just continues sleeping. Much to Cupid's surprise though, a big robot happily leaps after the petal leaf.
all / whole / entire / every / complete

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a whole-wheat bread.

= + : Just inside the anthill's kitchen, Neanderthal Man, Martin Luther King and Cupid have gathered for a world record attempt. They want to eat a whole 100 kg whole-wheat bread in under one hour.
poor / destitute / to use up / to exhaust / thoroughly / extremely / (coll.) persistently and pointlessly

= + : Cupid (qu) exhausted (穷) his bank account and is very poor (穷). He has nowhere to go and nothing to do anymore. In the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2) he creates a big cave painting (穴) out of boredom. Idly he paints a big power button (力) wishing that upon hitting it, money would rain down on him.
variant of 券[quan4]

= + : Cupid (qu) and the angel (关) found a special bond (券) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). They divide it using a cleaver (刀) and each of them gets one half of the document (券).
bond (esp. document split in two, with each party holding one half) / contract / deed (i.e. title deeds) / ticket / voucher / certificate

= + : Cupid (qu) and the angel (关) found a special bond (券) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). They divide it using a cleaver (刀) and each of them gets one half of the document (券).
to go / to go to (a place) / (of a time etc) last / just passed / to send / to remove / to get rid of / to reduce / to be apart from in space or time / to die (euphemism) / to play (a part) / (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth / (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker) / (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation)

= + : Mnemonic symbol: The "nose" part (厶) can be seen as an arm, which goes through "earth" (土), and this reminds me of some protesters who lock themselves (or their arms, to be specific) to concrete barrels. Cupids dirt capsule could also be a concrete barrel. So in other characters, I'm going to represent 去 by a concrete barrel.

Cupid (qu) is trying to send himself to earth. In the bathroom of the space station (Ø4), he has prepared a capsule made of dirt (土). He's wearing his lucky fake nose (厶) when entering the capsule.
authority / power / right / (literary) to weigh / expedient / temporary

= + : Cupid (qu) wants to display his power (权) and authority (又) in the anthill's kitchen (an2), so he beats off every needle of a Christmas tree (木) wearing boxing gloves (又).
surname Quan

= + : Cupid (qu) wants to display his power (权) and authority (又) in the anthill's kitchen (an2), so he beats off every needle of a Christmas tree (木) wearing boxing gloves (又).
spring (small stream) / mouth of a spring / coin (archaic)

= + : Cupid (qu) opened a hot spring (泉) in the anthill's kitchen (an2) by connecting a water fountain (水) with the anthill's heating system. To mark his hot spring as a place of peace he set up a white flag (白) at the side of the spring.
to advise / to urge / to try to persuade / to exhort / to console / to soothe

= + : Cupid (qu) is wearing his new boxing glove (又) as he sees an emergency power button (力) which would perfectly fit his glove in a blow in the anthill's bathroom (an4). There is an inner voice which advises (劝) him not to hit that button with his boxing glove, but yet he feels the urge (劝) to just do it.
authenticated / solid / firm / real / true

= + : Cupid found a huge horn in the elevator's bathroom. He knows that if it were genuine, it would be worth a fortune. He knows also that there is only one way to find out: by crashing a stone on it he'll find out whether it is the real stuff.
variant of 確|确[que4] / variant of 埆[que4]

= + : Cupid found a huge horn in the elevator's bathroom. He knows that if it were genuine, it would be worth a fortune. He knows also that there is only one way to find out: by crashing a stone on it he'll find out whether it is the real stuff.
fist / boxing

= + : Cupid (qu) trains his fist (拳) in the anthill's kitchen (an2). He just started though, so he wants to start easy and just hits a baseball glove (手) he hung on the wall. Unfortunately he hung it right over the anthill's off-button (关) so that upon his first hit the lights go out.
old variant of 卻|却[que4]

= + : Cupid and the baby seal are fighting a war in the elevator's bathroom. Cupid shoots his arrows of love while the baby seal uses its big eyes to make everyone fall for it. However, at the moment everything is silent: Cupid and the baby seal both retreated into their concrete barrels for now.
but / yet / however / while / to go back / to decline / to retreat / nevertheless / even though

= + : Cupid and the baby seal are fighting a war in the elevator's bathroom. Cupid shoots his arrows of love while the baby seal uses its big eyes to make everyone fall for it. However, at the moment everything is silent: Cupid and the baby seal both retreated into their concrete barrels for now.
surname Qu

= + : Mnemonic symbol from 屈光度, diopter.

A ghost (尸) is chasing Cupid (qu) through the space station. Cupid wanted to escape to his room, but he didn't use his contact lenses and since his eyes have large diopter (屈), he mistook the station's emergency exit (出) for the door to his room. In front of the space station (Ø1) he feels quite wronged (屈).
bent / to feel wronged

= + : Mnemonic symbol from 屈光度, diopter.

A ghost (尸) is chasing Cupid (qu) through the space station. Cupid wanted to escape to his room, but he didn't use his contact lenses and since his eyes have large diopter (屈), he mistook the station's emergency exit (出) for the door to his room. In front of the space station (Ø1) he feels quite wronged (屈).
(bound form) small bird / sparrow / also pr. [qiao3]
area / region / district / small / distinguish / CL:個|个[ge4]

= + : Cupid is chilling in front of the space station, when an alien from Area 51 flies by and gives him a metal box. Unfortunately, even using pliers, Cupid is too weak to open it.

= + : Mnemonic symbol: An alien from Area 51.

= + : Cupid receives a metal box in front of the space station. He opens it and finds a road sign with a pyramid on it. Clever as he is, he derives that it must have been sent to him from the region of Egypt.
variant of 驅|驱[qu1]

= + : Cupid (qu) drove out (驱) the unicorn (马) and the alien (区) from the space station. Just in front of the space station (Ø1) the alien is riding on the unicorn towards earth, thinking of seeking refuge in area 51.