to rise / to flourish / to become popular / to start / to encourage / to get up / (often used in the negative) to permit or allow (dialect) / maybe (dialect)
兴
=
⺍
+
一
+
八
:
Mnemonic symbol from the shape of the character: a sea star. Xi shi (xi) and a sea star (⺍) have a strong desire (兴) to smoke catnip (⺍) through a flute (一), so they hide in the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) to crush the catnip with an eight-ball (八) and smoke it. Shortly afterwards they relax and loose all their excitement (兴) and interest in anything (兴).
凯
=
几
+
岂
:
After capitalism has been triumphant (凯) over communism Karl Marx (k) hides under a table (几) in the airplane (ai3) and asks: how can this be (岂)?
凯
=
几
+
岂
:
After capitalism has been triumphant (凯) over communism Karl Marx (k) hides under a table (几) in the airplane (ai3) and asks: how can this be (岂)?
刺
=
刂
+
朿
:
The King of Chu (c) got a thorn (刺) stuck in his chest, and he cannot pull it out because it broke off and the tip is deep under the skin. He has no other choice but to use a kitchen knife (刂) to cut it out in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but he slips and accidentally stabs himself (朿).