无从下手

无

無

wú

从

從

cóng

下

xià

手

shǒu

not know where to start

Characters and words in 无从下手

无

無

wú = w + Ø2

not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less

无 = 一 + 𠂇 + 乚 : Mnemonic symbol: the philosopher Diogenes, who has nothing and wants nothing.

无 = 一 + 𠂇 + 乚 : Just inside the space station's entrance, Diogenes is annoyed by Willy Walrus, who's playing his flute. Diogenes just wants a peaceful time without being disturbed, so he cuts the flute into pieces with a pair of scissors, and threatens to beat Willy Walrus with a shovel should he annoy Diogenes again.

Mnemonic symbol: 無爲, wu2 wei2, the state of non-doing after having attained complete harmony with the Tao.

Willy Walrus (w) has attained Wu Wei (無) just inside the space station's entrance (Ø2), while from the outside it may seem like he is napping.

无

無

wú

从

從

cóng

not to have access / beyond one's authority or capability / sth one has no way of doing

从

cóng = cu + (e)ng2

variant of 從|从[cong2]

从

從

cóng = cu + (e)ng2

surname Cong

从

從

cóng = cu + (e)ng2

from / through / via / to follow / to obey / to engage in (an activity) / never (in negative sentence) / (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) retainer / assistant / auxiliary / subordinate / related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor

从 = 人 : Mnemonic symbol: 从 looks like the legs of a rubber chicken. Two Neanderthal Men (人) are playing a game with Kitty Cat (cu) in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2). They stand in a line and let Kitty Cat pass through (从) the tunnel formed by their legs by teasing her with a rubber chicken (从).

下

xià = xi + a4

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

下 = 一 + 卜 : 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.

下

xià

手

shǒu

to start / to put one's hand to / to set about / the seat to the right of the main guest

手

shǒu = sh + ou3

hand / (formal) to hold / person engaged in certain types of work / person skilled in certain types of work / personal(ly) / convenient / classifier for skill / CL:雙|双[shuang1],隻|只[zhi1]

Mnemonic symbol: a baseball glove. Sherlock Holmes (sh) is trying out his new baseball glove (手) in the outhouse's living room (ou3).