Pinyin initial: "xi"

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

Mnemonics for xi

Xi is for Marie Curie.
Alternative mnemonic for xi: Xi Shi (西施), one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China.

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Characters with xi

down / downwards / below / lower / later / next (week etc) / second (of two parts) / to decline / to go down / to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc) / measure word to show the frequency of an action

= + : Mnemonic symbol: from the up/down logic, and a little bit the shape of the character, a ladder.

Xi Shi (xi) is on a retreat in the ashram. Using a voodoo staff (卜), she divined that next (下) week she'll have to play the flute (一) sixteen hours per day. Because she hates playing the flute, she climbs over the ashram's bathroom (a4) wall using a ladder (下) to escape.
star / heavenly body / satellite / small amount

= + : The sun (日) and a satellite (星) had a love affair and now have a baby: Xi Shi (xi) is quietly sleeping in her little cradle (生) in front of the engine ((e)ng1).
former times / the past / Taiwan pr. [xi2]

= + : Mnemonic symbol: From 奶昔, milkshake

In former times (昔), at the end of the day the sun (日) used to go down in a well (井) in front of the space station (Ø1). Xi Shi (xi) made the sun go out by pouring a milk shake (mnemonic symbol for 昔) over it.

= + : Xi Shi (xi) climbed a ladder (下) to reach a mandarin (口) which is stored on a very high shelf in the ashram's bathroom (a4), but half way up she remembers that she is terribly afraid of heights and is scared to death (吓).
small / tiny / few / young

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a small daisy. 小 looks like the stem 亅 of the flower is pushing aside the earth 八 as it grows out of the seed in the ground.

Xi Shi (xi) is decorating her hair with lots of small (小) daisies (mnemonic symbol for 小) in the aorta's living room (ao3). She wants to have lots of daisies in the future as well, so she plants new daisies. She found that the perfect substrate for planting daisies is made by crushing eight-balls (八) with a crow bar (亅).
appearance / portrait / picture / government minister / (physics) phase / (literary) to appraise (esp. by scrutinizing physical features) / to read sb's fortune (by physiognomy, palmistry etc)

= + : Mnemonic symbol: I take "eye" and "tree" as resembling an ent, an alive tree. Xi Shi (xi) portrays (相) an ent (相) in the anglepod's bathroom (ang4). Unfortunately she's really bad at painting, and her portrait resembles more a Christmas tree (木). The Eye of Providence (目) enters and, just from the shape of the Christmas Tree, instantly recognizes its own portrait (相).
each other / one another / mutually / fret on the neck of a pipa 琵琶[pi2 pa5] (a fret on the soundboard is called a 品[pin3])
to inspect / to examine / to be aware / to pay a visit (to one's parents or elders)
fragrant / sweet smelling / aromatic / savory or appetizing / (to eat) with relish / (of sleep) sound / perfume or spice / joss or incense stick / CL:根[gen1]

= + : Mnemonic symbol from 香草, spices.

Just as the sun is not looking Marie Curie plays a prank on her in front of the anglepod and puts some spices in her bowl of cereals.
to smell / to sniff / to nose

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is sniffing (嗅) at an old mandarin (口) she found in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4) and finds it stinks (臭) terribly.
dried meat / also pr. [xi2]

= + : Marie Curie (xi) finds that the moon (月) crashed on the earth in front of the engine ((e)ng1). She investigates the case and concludes that the moon was hit and killed by a satellite (星) which is still stuck into its head. The moon is reeking with blood (腥) where the satellite hit it. Because it has been dead for a while it stinks quite fishy (腥).
similar / resembling / to resemble / to be like

= + : The aloe vera on the moon resembles the rose on the little prince's planet. Thus I'll represent this character by the little prince.

In the aorta's bathroom, the little prince misses his asteroid and his rose so much. To comfort him, Marie Curie gives him a moon and an aloe vera to remind him of home.

= + : Rosa Luxemburg took Marie Curie for a long trip to the outhouse, and now Marie Curie is tired. Luckily there's a nice and big Christmas tree in front of the outhouse, so Rosa Luxemburg sets up Marie's folding chair in its shadow to let her rest.

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a folding chair
to rest / to stop doing sth for a period of time / to cease / (imperative) don't

= + : Rosa Luxemburg took Marie Curie for a long trip to the outhouse, and now Marie Curie is tired. Luckily there's a nice and big Christmas tree in front of the outhouse, so Rosa Luxemburg sets up Marie's folding chair in its shadow to let her rest.

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a folding chair
to walk / to go / to travel / a visit / temporary / makeshift / current / in circulation / to do / to perform / capable / competent / effective / all right / OK! / will do / behavior / conduct / Taiwan pr. [xing4] for the behavior-conduct sense

= + : Mnemonic symbol from "to travel": seven-league boots.

Xi Shi (xi) is tired of walking with a black sneaker on her left foot (彳) and a full armor boot on her right foot (亍). Fortunately she finds seven-league boots (行) in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2).
school / military officer / CL:所[suo3]

= + : In the aorta's bathroom, Marie Curie and Linus Pauling find their Christmas presents of a lifetime under a Christmas tree. They are given the gift of being able to go to school so that they can become accomplished scientists.