开关

开

開

ka̅i

关

關

gua̅n

power switch / gas valve / to open the city (or frontier) gate / to open and close / to switch on and off

Characters and words in 开关

开

開

ka̅i = k + ai1

to open / to start / to turn on / to boil / to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc) / to operate (a vehicle) / carat (gold) / abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文|开尔文[Kai1 er3 wen2] / abbr. for 開本|开本[kai1 ben3], book format

开 = 一 + 廾 : A bottle opener. Karl Marx is sitting in front of the airplane, begging for money. He's playing a flute and has his bottle opener ready for the next beer, but unfortunately, he'll be carried away, his hands cuffed, soon.

关

關

gua̅n = gu + an1

mountain pass / to close; to shut; to turn off / to confine; to lock (sb) up; to shut (sb in a room, a bird in a cage etc) / to concern; to involve

关 = 丷 + 天 : A mean crocodile (丷) is chasing Gitta Giraffe (gu) in front of the anthill (an1). It almost caught up, when an angel (天) appears and pushes its off button (mnemonic symbol for 关) to save Gitta Giraffe.