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.
to transfer / to move (troops or cadres) / to investigate / to enquire into / accent / view / argument / key (in music) / mode (music) / tune / tone / melody
调
=
周
+
讠
:
Mother Teresa (ti) wants to calm down and reconcile (调) all the people in the aorta's kitchen (ao2). To this end she climbs on an advertising column (讠) and dances with a hula hoop (周).