Mandarinbanana

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).

正

zhèng

在

zài

just at (that time) / right in (that place) / right in the middle of (doing sth)

正

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

first month of the lunar year

正

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

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.

在

zài = z + ai4

to exist; to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)

在 = 一 + 亻 + 土 : Zorro (z) and Rosa Luxemburg (亻) exist (在) in the airplane's bathroom (ai4). Rosa is in the middle of balancing a flute (一) on her head and on a pile of clay (土). Zorro uses his rapier to inscribe "Z" into the flute, so as to mark that the pronunciation of "在" begins with "z".