to fight / to struggle / to condemn / to censure / to contend / to put together / coming together
斗
=
⺀
+
十
:
Mnemonic symbol: a 斗牛士 (dou4 niu2 shi4) is a matador, who will represent 斗 when used as component.
The matador (斗) and Don Quixote (d) are fighting (斗) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4) about who may use the bathroom next. The matador yields a holy cross (十) as a weapon, while Don Quixote (d) wisely chose a blossom (⺀) to cushion the crosses' blows.
ox / cow / bull / CL:條|条[tiao2],頭|头[tou2] / newton (abbr. for 牛頓|牛顿[niu2 dun4]) / (slang) awesome
牛
=
𠂉
+
十
:
A bull has been locked to a big cross in the outhouse's kitchen, and Nefertiti has the key. She promises to free the bull if he pledges allegiance to her leadership.
member of the senior ministerial class (old) / scholar (old) / bachelor / honorific / soldier / noncommissioned officer / specialist worker
士
=
十
+
一
:
Sherlock Holmes (sh) is meeting the bachelor (士) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). Sherlock Holmes is playing a flute (一) for him, and the bachelor is wearing a huge cross (十) around his neck.
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it
之
=
丶
+
Z
:
Mnemonic symbol: Sooo sleepy... "zZz" (the character looks like a "Z"). James II of England (zh) fell asleep in front of the space station (Ø1). He sleeps on a big petal leaf (丶), making loud "zZz" (之) sounds.
歌
=
哥
+
欠
:
Guy Fawkes (g) lost a bet to his elder brother (哥) Godzilla (哥), who is waving with the IOU (欠) note Guy Fawkes signed when they made that bet. Now he'll have to sing a song (歌) to Godzilla in front of the elevator (e1).