Pinyin initial: "tu"

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

Mnemonics for tu

Tu is for Tommy Turtle.

Characters with tu

团
團
tuán = tu + an2
round / lump / ball / to roll into a ball / to gather / regiment / group / society / classifier for a lump or a soft mass: wad (of paper), ball (of wool), cloud (of smoke)
团 = 囗 + 才 : Tommy Turtle (tu) inspects the super secret box (囗) in the anthill's kitchen (an2). He's not supposed to open it, but with his super X-ray vision ability (才), he can see that it is filled with balls (团) and dumplings (团).
团
糰
tuán = tu + an2
dumpling
土
tǔ = tu + Ø3
earth / dust / clay / local / indigenous / crude opium / unsophisticated / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]
土 = 十 + 一 : Tommy Turtle (tu) wants to fix a cross (十) on a flute (一) in the space station's living room (Ø3). He uses dust and clay (土) to hold them together.
土
tǔ = tu + Ø3
Tu (ethnic group) / surname Tu
吐
tǔ = tu + Ø3
to spit / to send out (silk from a silkworm, bolls from cotton flowers etc) / to say / to pour out (one's grievances)
吐 = 口 + 土 : Tommy Turtle is spitting mandarins at a dusty, muddy earth from inside the space station.
吐
tù = tu + Ø4
to vomit / to throw up
吐 = 口 + 土 : Tommy Turtle ate to many mandarins in the space station. He can't help but vomit until he produced a muddy pile of mandarins in the bathroom.
吞
tu̅n = tu + (e)n1
to swallow / to take
吞 = 口 + 天 : Tommy Turtle (tu) tried to swallow (吞) a whole mandarin (口) in front of the encampment ((e)n1) and is about to suffocate. Fortunately an angel (天) sees him struggling and rescues him.
徒
tú = tu + Ø2
disciple / apprentice / believer / on foot / bare or empty / to no avail / only / prison sentence
徒 = 彳 + 走 : Tommy Turtle (tu) has to serve a prison sentence (徒) just inside the space station's entrance (Ø2). He will have to sew black sneakers (彳) using just a Nordic walking pole (走). To learn how to do this he has been appointed apprentice (徒) to one of the prisoners having been around for a lifetime.
徒
tú = tu + Ø2
surname Tu
徒 = 彳 + 走 : Tommy Turtle (tu) has to serve a prison sentence (徒) just inside the space station's entrance (Ø2). He will have to sew black sneakers (彳) using just a Nordic walking pole (走). To learn how to do this he has been appointed apprentice (徒) to one of the prisoners having been around for a lifetime.
徒
tú = tu + Ø2
disciple; apprentice; believer / on foot / bare; empty / to no avail / only / prison sentence
突
tu̅ = tu + Ø1
to dash / to move forward quickly / to bulge / to protrude / to break through / to rush out / sudden / Taiwan pr. [tu2]
突 = 犬 + 穴 : Tommy Turtle (tu) is painting cave paintings (穴) onto the saint bernard dog (犬) while he is sleeping in front of the space station (Ø1), but suddenly (突) the saint bernard dog wakes up and dashes (突) at Tommy Turtle after he quickly finds out what Tommy did to him.
屯
tún = tu + (e)n2
to station (soldiers) / to store up / village
童
tóng = tu + (e)ng2
surname Tong
童 = 立 + 里 : Mnemonic symbol from "golden boy, jade girl": the golden boy.

The golden boy (童) fell in love with Tommy Turtle (tu). He is waiting for him in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2) to surprise him with a vase (立) full of sunflowers (里).
童
tóng = tu + (e)ng2
child
童 = 立 + 里 : Mnemonic symbol from "golden boy, jade girl": the golden boy.

The golden boy (童) fell in love with Tommy Turtle (tu). He is waiting for him in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2) to surprise him with a vase (立) full of sunflowers (里).
同
tóng = tu + (e)ng2
like / same / similar / together / alike / with
同 = 冂 + 𠮛 : Tommy Turtle (tu) is stapling (冂) a magical scroll (𠮛) to the wall of the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2). On it he wrote that he's looking for two twins (mnemonic symbol for 同).
同
衕
tòng = tu + (e)ng4
see 衚衕|胡同[hu2 tong4]
筒
tǒng = tu + (e)ng3
tube / cylinder / to encase in sth cylindrical (such as hands in sleeves etc)
筒 = ⺮ + 同 : Tommy Turtle (tu) managed to build a twin (同) cylinder (筒) engine out of bamboo sticks (⺮) inside of the engine ((e)ng3).
筒
筩
tǒng = tu + (e)ng3
variant of 筒[tong3]
筒 = ⺮ + 同 : Tommy Turtle (tu) managed to build a twin (同) cylinder (筒) engine out of bamboo sticks (⺮) inside of the engine ((e)ng3).
兔
tù = tu + Ø4
rabbit
兔 = 丶 + 免 : Tommy Turtle (tu) sold the rabbit (兔) a very tasty looking petal leaf (丶) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but before the rabbit eats the leaf Tommy Turtle hands him a disclaimer (免) about possible side effects.
兔
兎
tù = tu + Ø4
variant of 兔[tu4]
兔 = 丶 + 免 : Tommy Turtle (tu) sold the rabbit (兔) a very tasty looking petal leaf (丶) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but before the rabbit eats the leaf Tommy Turtle hands him a disclaimer (免) about possible side effects.