(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ... / (after a noun) person involved in ... / -er / -ist / (used after a number or 後|后[hou4] or 前[qian2] to refer to sth mentioned previously) / (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term) / (old) (used at the end of a command) / (old) this
者
=
⺹
+
日
:
Mnemonic symbol: the sun (日) is wearing a crown (⺹). This reminds me of Louis XIV, le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, which will thus be the mnemonic symbol for 者. The crown (⺹) wearing sun (日), the Sun King (者) and James II of England (zh) are taking part in a writing contest in the elevator's living room (e3) to see who of them is the best author (作者).
Knowledge is not innate to man, how can we overcome doubt? / We are not born with knowledge, how does one achieve maturity? (i.e. without guidance from a teacher - Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈[Han2 Yu4])