(pronoun) this; these / (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) / (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing)
simple / uncomplicated / letter / to choose / to select / bamboo strips used for writing (old)
surname Zhi / Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God
straight / to straighten / fair and reasonable / frank / straightforward / (indicates continuing motion or action) / vertical / vertical downward stroke in Chinese characters
直
=
十
+
目
+
一
:
Mnemonic symbol: someone straight edge. James II of England (zh) decided to go straight edge (直) in the space station's kitchen (Ø2), and he also decided that this means he won't listen to music anymore. The Eye of Providence (目) promptly plays some music on its flute (一) to tease him, whereupon the James II of England defends himself by holding up a cross (十).
variant of 是[shi4] / (used in given names)
to be (followed by substantives only) / correct; right; true / (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well / (adverb for emphatic assertion)
是
=
旦
+
龰
:
Mnemonic symbol: a skull, from "to be or not to be".
Sherlock Holmes (sh) starts his day in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) with a mug of coffee (旦). Holding a skull (mnemonic symbol for 是) in his hands, he asks himself "to be, or not to be" (是). He wonders if he can make the skull come back to life using lots of coffee, and injects coffee from his mug into the skull using a syringe (龰).
Sherlock Holmes (sh) starts his day in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) with a mug of coffee (旦). Holding a skull (mnemonic symbol for 是) in his hands, he asks himself "to be, or not to be" (是). He wonders if he can make the skull come back to life using lots of coffee, and injects coffee from his mug into the skull using a syringe (龰).
是
=
日
+
下
+
人
:
Mnemonic symbol: a skull, from "to be or not to be".
Sherlock Holmes (sh) watches the Neanderthal Man (人) trying to climb to the sun (日) on a ladder (下) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). Sherlock is afraid that he'll open the window, so he puts on a big skull (是) and scares him off.
Sherlock Holmes (sh) watches the Neanderthal Man (人) trying to climb to the sun (日) on a ladder (下) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). Sherlock is afraid that he'll open the window, so he puts on a big skull (是) and scares him off.
to make / to build / to manufacture / to invent / to fabricate / to go to / party (in a lawsuit or legal agreement) / crop / classifier for crops
contrary / in reverse / inside out or upside down / to reverse / to return / to oppose / opposite / against / anti- / to rebel / to use analogy / instead / abbr. for 反切[fan3 qie4] phonetic system
(completed action marker) / (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) / (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
to finish / to achieve / variant of 瞭|了[liao3] / to understand clearly
了
=
乛
+
亅
:
Mnemonic symbol from "to finish" and the shape of the character: a prize cup.
Li Qingzhao (li) is responsible for manufacturing a prize cup (了). She only needs to add a poetic engraving. Unfortunately, she suffers from a writer's block. In the aorta's living room (ao3), someone left a cryptic message engraved on the walls using a sickle (乛), which is still lying on the floor. Being an accomplished poet Li Qingzhao is able to understand the message clearly (了), realizes its poetic potential and starts to engrave it on the prize cup using a crowbar (亅).
Li Qingzhao (li) is responsible for manufacturing a prize cup (了). She only needs to add a poetic engraving. Unfortunately, she suffers from a writer's block. In the aorta's living room (ao3), someone left a cryptic message engraved on the walls using a sickle (乛), which is still lying on the floor. Being an accomplished poet Li Qingzhao is able to understand the message clearly (了), realizes its poetic potential and starts to engrave it on the prize cup using a crowbar (亅).
(of eyes) bright / clear-sighted / to understand clearly