栽筋斗

栽

za̅i

筋

ji̅n

斗

dǒu

to tumble / to fall head over heels / (fig.) to take a tumble

Characters and words in 栽筋斗

栽

za̅i = z + ai1

to grow / to plant / to insert / to force on sb / to fall head first

栽 = 𢦏 + 木 : Zorro (z) is taking care of his bonsai Christmas tree (木) in front of the airplane (ai1). He plants (栽) it into a bigger flower pot, and after cutting (𢦏) some of its branches he sews (𢦏) the tree's wounds.

栽

za̅i = z + ai1

to plant; to grow / to insert; to erect (e.g. a bus stop sign) / to impose sth on sb / to stumble; to fall down

筋

ji̅n = ji + (e)n1

muscle / tendon / veins visible under the skin / sth resembling tendons or veins (e.g. fiber in a vegetable)

筋 = ⺮ + 肋 : Joan of Arc (ji) trained so much that her muscles (筋) burst her harness in front of the encampment ((e)n1). To cover her ribs (肋) she makes a larger armor out of bamboo sticks (⺮).

筋

ji̅n

斗

dǒu

tumble / somersault

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.