星移斗轉

星

xi̅ng

移

yí

斗

dǒu

转

轉

zhuǎn

lit. the Big Dipper 北斗星[Bei3 dou3 xing1] has turned and the stars have moved / time flies / also written 斗轉星移|斗转星移[Dou3 zhuan3 xing1 yi2]

Characters and words in 星移斗轉

星

xi̅ng = xi + (e)ng1

star / heavenly body / satellite / small amount

星 = 日 + 生 : The sun (日) and a satellite (星) had a love affair and now have a baby: Xi Shi (xi) is quietly sleeping in her little cradle (生) in front of the engine ((e)ng1).

移

yí = y + Ø2

to move / to shift / to change / to alter / to remove

移 = 多 + 禾 : Maud Younger (y) and Manny (多) just received their food ration in the space station's entrance (Ø2). It's a bowl of cereals (禾). Again. Both Maud and Manny hate been eating cereals over and over again, so they move and shift (移) the cereals between each other because neither wants to eat it.

斗

dǒu = d + ou3

abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星[Bei3 dou3 xing1]

斗

dǒu = d + ou3

dry measure for grain equal to ten 升[sheng1] or one-tenth of a 石[dan4] / decaliter / peck / cup or dipper shaped object / old variant of 陡[dou3]

斗

鬥

dòu = d + ou4

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.