=—— FUN WITH = CHINESE CHARACTERS The Straits Times Collection) Cartoonist: Tan Huay Peng FEDERAL PUBLICATIONS ‘Singapore + Kuala Lumpur + Hong KongPublished for The Straits Times by Federal Publications (S) Pte Ltd © 1983 Federal Publications (S) Pee Ltd Times Jurong 2 Jurong Port Road Singapore 2261 First published 1983 Reprinted 1984, 1985, 1986 Alll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. ISBN 9971 4 60742 Printed by Chong Moh Offset Printing Pte LtdPREFACE Fun With Chinese Characters Volume 3 features another 140 characters which first appeared in the Straits Times Bilingual Page. They trace systematically the evolution of Chinese characters from pictographs and ideographs, introducing radical elements and compounds with the appreciative and discerning eye of a cartoonist, This final collection in the highly popular and successful Fun With Chinese Characters Series includes an indispensable index of all the characters found in the series for easy reference.Caran eune SRHRASHSSARSAKIRE XM PH he SHH Si CONTENTS BR wing 27 Bf jido 53% gdu 19 He xi yi 28 #R ruin 54 G die 80 ik bs gus 29 3 lian $5 9h wai 81 hai xian 30 3 lian 56 meng 82 i kE li Sl oc. fu 57 7K ye 83 ik fm i 320 mf) jin 58% ming 84 Klin zhi 33 Ai ba 59 = ming 8S Fe zhi aha. 34 iy thou 60% yuan 86 quan 35 61 KA cong 87 #& lou quan 36 62 47 xing, hang 88 fj bing mi 37 if 63 fH dé 89 FE téng fen 38 ti = mao 64 i dé 90 Fe it jing 39 HF chang 65 ft 91 ji dao. qi 40 if bang 66 if hen 92 ij mian shi 41 te yi 67 fe jie 93 Ae xia fan 42 FE ko 68 Fill 94 fife shui bio 43H bai 69 i hou 95 Rf é 44% dito 10 4% dai 96 wei guin 45 Hr pian 71 Th gong 97 BR si yin 46 DR chudng 72 Mm iia 98 iF ch 47 HH gidng 73 tp ban 99 hong 48 3% jiang 14 th xi€ 100 3 ka 49 4k zhuing 15 3 lio or lin 50 3 zhuing 76 i fan 102 jin sy x 77 He guang 103° ff zhan 52% duo 78 5G xian 104105 106 107 108 109 110 a 112 113 BR ot oe te Si an 4 us 116 47 118 119 120 121 122 ap +RR ERAS nidng mido ke bi bai xiong da lin jing 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 vi Jing kong chuan pin yuan & 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 SPER HH BA 5 & shi ud zhongWANG = king; ruler THREE horizontal planes (=) repre- senting heaven, man and earth, con- nected by a vertical structure (1 ), form the character for king: E — the ‘one vested with power, between heav- en and earth, to rule uprightly over was & pletograph jade beads ( £ ) which only the royalty could afford. It even- tually became the symbol for king. “le [Fle | | | jE 9 wing king SE -BY wang gong (imperial) palace EM wang chéo imperial court; dynasty | = fi wing péi trump card SEfi& wang chi crown prince SES wang shi royal family; imperial court EE wing 8 the law Efi, wing wei throne E25 GIB wang gong gui zi the nobility TE JE wang zi persons of royal lineage Example: EM a EF 1% KR E fe s Gob wing -si hou wing hing) hing wing wa When the king dies, the prince will succeed to the throne. 1yu jade; gem represents 3 pieces of jade strung together as a symbol for king: Z . ‘The dot (> ) was added to form # jade), distinguishing it from Z ). Highly valued as a symbol of excellence and purity, Jade may be found in its crude form, hidden in rough stone. Hence the saying: “Jade which is not chiselled and polished Is not an article of beauty.” ¥ | E|E vidio jade carving; jade sculpture yutuing di di the Jade Emperor (the Supreme Deity of Taoism) EGR UKM —yojié bing ging —_as pure as jade and as clean as ice he yidl jade article Ef yo sé jade green; light bluish green ERR yb shii shit maize; corn Ee yor the Jade Hare — the moon EE yi zin jade hairpin Example: A ERE Eo Te ge ye do bi iin i This jade carving is not cheap.| (Ba) GU country; nation @ is composed of Oo (eouna, and” = opens” Hi sheretore means ‘lan ple and weap- ons. within’ boundary "~ Fepresenting eyes (2 ) of man (4), means to see. So 38, means the sight of » sparkling gem, its appearance at that very moment now. Appearances may ‘be reveal ing or deceptive. According to the saying: “Fine words and appear- ance ‘are seldom associated with virtue.” Ee fe iF fH SMM, BR vid ching... scene (of an incident) BAR —_ xian xiéngke> appearance (of things); Bie xin chéng + -. ready-made phenomenon BUG xian dai modern times; the BUA xinydu.. now available; existing contemporary age BLE xian zai now; at present; today LK xin kun»: ready money; cash HYBL—chiixiin «appear BLK xin shh reality; actuality RL faxiin ¢'- discover Example: hi bn -#RA o ‘Ta ian shing xan ch yi si xido_ rong A faint smile appeared on her face.Li _ village; mile; inside originally was a village inade up of @ (fields) and (earth), The average length of one side, about 600 metres, became a measure of length: ¥ nese mile. ¥ is also the sim fied form of ¥ . al for clothes (4e) is split and lined inside with the, phonetic to suggest inside: id Wbian inside; in; within BE Wichéng mileage; course of development HLEZRR —ichéngbai_-—_—milestone BE Ui Hai the Caspian Sea an Timian inside; interior BA Wtow inside; interior Example: BY £2 ii y WIR He ° Wi 3 min ching min ying ging The house is filled with sunshine.Li polish; reason; principle iB E (gem) is the radical, and the phonetic & is made up_of @ (field) and + (land). #@ com- res the cutting of a gem to the viding of field and land, both done according to fixed rules and principles; hence the extended meaning: reason, principle. The old saying highlights the importance of a moral standard: “A man of talent without principle is inferior to a simpleton with principle.” = |= 1 [_|F fe EF Repel es 1 licdi (usually in the negative) Hit fidn theory BR bee attention to; HES shi hu council; board of directors show interest in a BET GPR Msub ding rén of course; naturally HER fa haircut; hairdressing e ae ideal 2 BE |ihu understand; comprehend are ising a Ff ij understand; comprehend Fh iyéu reason; ground; argument BERL Uke science (asa school subject) aL Ia eae eee Example: RA oy HL ra 7H fe fh GY iG > Wo you ching fin i you ling xin 18 de ha Thave every reason to believe his words.Es mats owner; master & is » pictograph of o lampstand with the flame rising above it. It symbolises » man who spreads light — 8 lord or master. To shed light, the master himself needs the en- lightening counsel: “If you suspect a man, don’t employ him; if you em- ploy’a man, dow’ suspect him.” z SEX, = thiban— direct; sponsor EA master SEFF —thiichl chair (a discussion); SEfE —thiirén director; chairman _ host (a banquet) E/E —chishi instigate; incite; abet SEs) ahiding initiative EL chit theme; subject; motif SEPA thd! home team; host team EI chix) chairman (of a meeting) SEG hid housewife; hostess [BE ahiydo. main; chief; principal EM thi'guan subjective ahiyl doctrine; ism =E%F —thi'guin person in charge thiyl idea; plan; decision Example: RM KE HK Be th Wo men ving gi thi Ging gi j@ jn We ought to take the initiative to befriend him.(man) is combined with 3 (master) to form (% , meaniny Sela ce days, the man (A) was always master ( ¥) of his dwelling; s0 the combination <&, wnggests to dwell, to stay. In modern times, however, some husbai still boss the house; others EP 2h his household; resident {£0 zha ku shut up; stop talking EF thd shou stay one’s hand; stop Ea zhi si stay ; put up; get accommodation ER zhiyuin be in hospital; be hospitalized ES zhi zhéi residence; dwelling Example: fh ABB or PY la) Ze AR LE THe Ta di bi fin shi jm i wea He stayed at the school most of the time.quan = complete; perfect THIS character was first written pleted, i.e, the components a assembled ‘and the work finished. However, the modern character, — elassified under A. (in), could be interpreted as a jade (= or =) skilfully inlaid (A), and so flaw- less and_ perfect: & : perfection is not always the crucial thing: “Better an ¢ imperfect jade than a perfect tile” S21 | | J Ir 4m quin bi. whole; complete; total; all Sah quin ja overall situation 4A quan cdi a versatile person; all-rounder 4H quanti with all one’s strength 42% —— quinchdng the whole audience; 42TH) quin min overall; comprehensive all those present | 2-46 quan ini annual; yearly Az LEIPE quan qué xing nationwide 42% quin gid the whole world A qué ji complete works; collected works | 44% quén to complete set 42% quan jing panorama; full view Example: Bape epee Se ete) WO men quin ji rén cho qu le My family had gone out.& QUAN recover from illness THE radical 7 (originally J” ) represents a sick patient lying down (= ) ona bed (A ). The phonetic 2 means finished or completed. The combination 7¥ is based on the belief of physicians. that when a disease Gp) has run its full course (4), the Patient recovers: 35 . mas em. quin yi fully recover from an illness Example: fh WW ER A SE he Ta de bing hii mB you win gion gun He has not fully recovered from his illness.ui a pictograph of a rice stalk. Its original form depicted nine grains of rice <% . This was modified to 3 and finally 3k, 2 symbolising grains (5¢) separated in the folr quarters (++) by ice threshing. Although the rice-bow! may represent an honest means of (uncooked) _ living, “rice obtained by crookedness will not boil up into good food .” ie mi bo metric wave AB imi fen rice-flour noodles; vermicelli KA mi ji rice wine RRL mill grain of rice KE mise cream-coloured Ail mid the metric system Example: EKARAR T > ae wi ti ine This rice is overcooked.i FACE powder in Ching was once made inding rice into fi sled Henge i i Powder — trom a (divide, find). The cal 3 is ao likeness of @ ri stall and the phonetic / picture of a knife severin it now stands for any- thing ground into powder. powder we fn bi chalk Ba fn acne EL fen hing pink STE fen shén sulgi have one’s body smashed to pieces; die the most cruel death phil] fn shud whitewash wee fin si vermicelli made from bean starch, etc. HE fn sul smash; shatter; crush Example: fh KB KR He ‘Ta bi mimo ching fin He grinds the rice into powder form.4h JING refined; essence; vigour AK (rice) is the radical of this character and # (green, pure) the phonetic. Rice, the only grain that grows in a padi field, ig never mixed with other grains, and so signifies something pure. A (green) is also a symbol of purity; it #3 the colour of vegetation, #} representing the al- chemist’s stove and 2 the growing plant, The two symbols of purity combine to enforce the idea of refinement, essence [= “TPRRRE ipa jing bing » picked troops; crack troops we jing cai » brilliant; splendid; wonderful 4H ifng energy; vigour RE Ing mai exquisite; elegant #FHFE-F jing ming giéng gin capable; able and efficient FAI TI 3B jing pi jie exhausted; worn out Example: ik 76 WR WY BE BU ROM Bee Be hws ping de dio ke hin jing zhi The carvings on this vase are exquisite. ¥T5 jing qido exquisite; ingenious HATH jing shén spirit; mind; vigour; drive HAUL» ingxin meticulously; elaborately HAL ing ye seminal fluid; semen FF) jing zhi made with extra care #83 jing2hi fine; exquisiterepresents curling vapours rising and forming clouds, ) whic! = (Sa) MeiSeh orens shaw the san ©) andetine Ue h cause = the vapours: § . The regular form ‘@, , however, depicts the (4) ascending from bolling rice (3) — now simpli- Qi breath; vapour; air R = to 4 , meaning air, vapour, breath, energy or anger. i = mR RU Ey 7 |* | Al a Ait FH ql chong ching furious; beside oneself MR = qihou climate with rage ST ql effort; energy; strength sql chun asthma AR digid balloon SR alten atmosphere SG qiwén_—_ air temperature Sune alin indignant; furious RE aixang tii meteorological observatory Example: SRA ERO KS AH iT Ha tin sti i Gig ySu ho de gl fin ahing jn ng The talks were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. 14Li sui eat; food AL, to eat, is the radical relating to food in general, Its seal form shows that it is made up of & (together) and @ (boiled grain, food). @ itself is a pictogtéph of the rice- pot (© J and its contents (— ) with a spoon or ladle (&). 4 is the signal to come together (4) teat the food (j). But food, like knowledge, needs to be properly digested. So: “Be quick over your work, but not over your food. Be ae Be FL yesh lunar eclipse #18 shisi board and lodging SEM thiishi staple food $34 shiting dining room; mess hall; canteen 0H shiligng — grain; food ft shiwi —_ food; eatables; edibles Eh shipin foodstuff; food; provisions | #8 = — stlyn go back on one’s word; break one’s promise iif ship recipes; cookbook mie sit i 48 shizhi_ index finger Example: KEEWA HE & Misi YS hu th el Rice is the staple food of Asians. 15bal Bh) rice (cooked) z. fk, the character for cooked rice, comes from the radical and the phonetic meaning return. J& represents the repeti (Z) of the hand (2), as in eating | (#@). Although hungry people are not fastidious about food, “One speck of rat's dung spoils a whole pot of rice. Tm combination, is simplified to ® (food) ¢ motion tik li liv BH fan cai ‘BUR ‘BaR fan gui ti) ‘fn tng ‘Bp fan win wes fan shud Example: ker RR TO ‘The can ting fan ch Ke kiu meal; repast restaurant pot for cooking rice; rice cooker rice bucket; big eater; good-for-nothing rice bowl; job; means of livelihood dining table > AR A RA BI « fi wi you thou dio This restaurant offers tasty food and good service. 16‘therefore means food all wrapped up in the stomach, a @ the phonetic combines with @ , the radical for food, to Ay form 4@ (satiated), The seal form of @ is >, depicting L fgefus enclosed in the body; hence the meaning wrapped. Ui fully satisfied. However, as the saying goes: “Better be hungry and pure than well-filled and corrupt.” BAO eat to the full Q pee ee bo hin filled with (eA bao hé saturation ei bo min full; plump wy bio xe learned Example: fh A) IR AY tl oA Ee MAY PAIR > Te de yin jing io hin the ng de Her eyes were filled with tears of joy. 17‘THIS character is based on the radical for food: . It literally means feed (&) me (4) — a fitting sign for hunger. Another character for hunger is #46, literally: ttle (46) food (2), simplified to FI, jew food (7g) on smail table ( JU). Although hunger is no respecter of persons, “Bven a hungry person will refuse food offered in contempt.” BS ed aie go hungry eK je hunger; starvation Eh A Bh pashi like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey Example: fh He GL ER BR be ‘Ta hing zhé ai ji | dn shang She struggled along on the verge of death,tE(EE) THE food radical ® combines with '# to produce # , a public building. The phonetic ‘& (official) originally meant the residence of an official — the hal “suggests a pul restaurant. Hence: II (7 ) of the city ic building doing food business — inn, hotel or ‘An innkeeper never worries if your appetite is (food) together with rere] | | iis RA ETE Pate Example: 18 quan m&i sh guin tiyd guin 8 sh gun hotel art gallery gymnasium; stadium library Khe HERES - Zhe i guin debian hn ting hung The hotel's decor is very impressive.mane ER |(ER) YIN drink a BASED on the food radical , this character has a significant phonetic Re suggesting breath. % originally was pictograph of a man opening his mouth to eaten his ald ag jn drinking: 2 . ™ The priniiive form of the character drink’ shows clearly » drinking flask iB as part of the food radical. UY he eral [TI OR yin cha drink tea hot yin dan be hit by a bullet TAR yin ban nurse a grievance thet yin lido drink; beverage Sa yin gt weep in silence thee yin shi food and drink; diet TRAR AK vyin yéng shui drinking water; potable water Example: th mk Fb eR th HR + Tani hain zo shang 28) chi fu yin cha, He likes to drink tea at the teahouse in the morning. 20represents a bird's eye view of a cart, showing its body (e), the two wheels ( =) and the axle Ch). The ive forms of # are as varied as carts, carriages and chariots. But, whatever the form, where there is a cart in front there is a track behind; so “Take warning from the wrecked cart ahead of you. (EES le og JIE alehe motor vehicle; automobile | 4248 he hin wheel (of a vehicle) ER ché chung lathe ER che pito train or bus ticket ABE che fare FEAEL A ché shui mé ing heavy traffic EHR chehud road accident tei che si speed of a motor vehicle E [a] che jan workshop iG che ti tyre E4% ché lang vehicle; car Eas chi ahin station; depot; stop Example: KRHWHA ERS © ‘Ti tio ji de gl ch chin dud This street is full of vehicles. 2¥%¥ is the triple form of the nolsy cart , It serves as a fitting symbol for id or explosive sound like the rumblit me carts, In th plified form, Z (again; ditte) replaces two lower carts juce Hi. itself sw simpll the right hand; anc right hand, returning repeat mouth in eating, suggest rain”. CPR AL LTT ea hing ding cause a sensation; make a stir SRRLAUZ hong hong lig on a grand and spectacular scale; vigorous; dynamic Rit hing jt shell; bombard Re hong long rumble; roll Seng, hong ming thunder; roar eK hong zha bomb Example: mH MRA BRS th Ra eK - Ta de chéo ji =omi_ni_ qin shi quin ching hong dong gl di Her ultra-miniskirt caused a stir at the party. 2kU storehouse JUST as “7 Is a pleture of roof, representing hut, $0 J” is halt a hut — a shed x, shop with an open front, ‘wags. shed .. Bat, Bs otetns, rare “FE ERR jn bk armoury. Fee SE ng kd storehouse; warehouse FERRE Ki cing have in storage ee Ki clin stock; reserve EB ki fang storehouse Example: Kee TUAW K BK We De cig Wo ring mB lig NS wi This warehouse can accomodate a large amount of goods. 23the wheel that, moves the cart, has $M, th (cart) for radical. 4, its phonetle, is sugges- Do7 five, not only of the orderly arrangement of By eel, but also their unity fies a collection (%-) of reserved on baml fnvan orderly manner ¢ ‘spokes of and etability. Te sig anelent document slips tied together Ca). CE RR PRR | 4OHE linban in shifts; in relays #688 — inkud outline; contour; rough sketch #te — Kinchi teeth of a cogwheel SRE Min lid take turns; do something in turn $885 lin chuin steamer HG inti «tyre SORE linda ferry Sek Kinyl wheelchair OMe —lintuan rotate; take turns SHH linzhou wheel and axle HAL linji turbine RF kind wheel Example: KA Ee MBH T De ge dé in bi gd hal The wheel of this car was badly scratched. 24= oN THE seal form of this character, shows a war chariot (4) escorted by a surrounding force of , sol- diers (77) — an army: . Armies are maintained "for Years, to be used on a sin- ile day. And on that crucial day: “The conquerors. are crowned kings; the defeated are branded bandits.” I 3% jimbéi_ armament; arms jin hud E86 jini army headquarters iim 929% jincdo military drill iin rén EE jinche military vehicle jin shi S26 jindul armed forces EAI lin sh xan han Ezz ile military criminal code | 345425] jn sh yin xi ERE jtn-ging naval port ee jan ying jin quin officer Example: BAW TL fe BW A He AR HE AY iin rin de ging md shi in yu tito thin sing do The work of a soldier is full of challenges. 25 arms and ammunition military strength soldier; serviceman noncommissioned officer (NCO) military training military manoeuvre; war exercise military camp; barracksZHAN chop off $7 probably has reference to a war chariot ( $) with warriors wielding axes (J ) to cut off the enemy. It may’ alsp mean to whirl or brandish (3 ) a battle axe (Jf). But cutting off an enemy ‘does not eradicate the source of trouble; hence the saying: “When cutting the weeds, get rid of the root” 5 CEREY STEERER thin cdo chigén destroy root and branch — stamp out the source of trouble FRET LER chin ding jie 08 resolute and decisive; categorical Sri than duan chop off ee thn shou behead; decapitate Example: fh 1 FRM BT Ta de shiv ba i ahén dun le His hands were chopped off by the machine, 26aio sedan-chair sed of F (vehicle) and b ing high and stately, — gedan chair. The phonetic combines & (man leaning forwar with" contracted form of «& Gas (high). Although the travel in sedans, the chair is a man; he who carries the chair is also a man,” Aa ] RE jido che car HT jido 2 sedan chair Te hua ido bridal sedan chair Example: wh BY fe OY 4 A OAR Oe A TE BE BD Gi SMB de has ebm n ning sth md do de In the olden days, Chinese brides rode on bridal sedan chairs, aTHE mobility of the carriage ($) is used to ge effect in this character. Combined with , it produces #, meaning soft and weak or pliable and flexible, & signifying a man QU) gasping for breath (2 ), exhausted, deficient. $& may also be_written g@ , the tie §@ representing the TOR neard (35) of 4 mas CE) z RUAN soft; weak; pliable yielding; a ruén ging mild steel; soft steel RRA run g6 tou a weak-kneed person; a spineless person; a coward a ruan gi cartilage RAG run hud soften; win over by soft tactics KAD run huo gentle; kind; soft ERE rua jan software run jin put somebody under house arrest RS run 100 weak; feeble; flabby Example: we wh fh AY A a wR iA HK fk T° Te be td de tin yin mi yo ruin hae She was won over by his sweet words.cz LIAN link; join; connect CARTS (¥) on the move (1) form a connecting link (3) be- tween places, leaving @ continuous track, not broken like the track of man. Iso represents a string of carria: ) moving along (2.2 ae conneeied. By the sam token $i, the character for chai is made pp of rings of metal (¢ linked Q¥) together. 7\4/# E 345 inguin Link up; piece together; hang together; coherent; consistent 4%] iin huin hua a book (usually for children) with a story told in pictures; picture story book ER lini implicate; involve; get somebody into trouble Et ign méng_—— promptly; at once lian for days on end; day after day {ign tong together with; along with SESE ln continuous; successive SER lin’ the same night; that very night Example: NRRKA HERA Xo mii xi hain kan Xing Ging dein ad id Xiaomei likes to watch the Hongkong serialised dramas. 29LIAN lotus AF, the totas, is » prolific water plant (#) that spreads continuously (¥) like @ flowery chain. It epitomises urity because It grows ou! ut remains undefiled. From 3¥ (con- acter (ripples) based on the water radical les being @ continuous sue- + — ripj cession (19) of waves. CEP al ere Win bua lotus flower ee lién peng seedpod of the lotus EEK lién peng tou shower nozzle ey lin ai lotus seed Example: TE RE K Ok BAY e Lin hud shi shéng zhing 2 = shul li de Lotus flowers grow in water. 30NS 4 x THE Chinese proverb defines father as “a man who, in praising his son, extols. himself’. Accordingly, the seal form J depicts father as a disciplinarian — the right hand (23 ) wielding the rod of authority ( |. Eventually the ri and then. broke: SE fami father and mother; parents RH fA gin father QAI 0 quan 2h patriarchy S58 fi xing father and elder brothers; head of a family Example: KRW RL RED RBH A WS de fi gn shi ge ch oting de rin My father is a kindly person.ain mie napkin; towel; skelees handkerchief rles of ph of a small piece of cloth used for cleani ing. 7 ancient times it was worn, ‘suspended le. 17 rey nts the, two extremities of the (1) fram fhe girdle, 1 forms the radical of 9 racters relating cloth in general. rhe jin TEE jn gud ying xi6ng it cn jin Fi shou jin AM tBu jin Hap wei jin Example: i an Te yong shu jin ma kin woman a heroine napkin hand towel headdress scarf She uses the towel to wipe her face.BU fi THIS character ig based on the | radical for cloth: *P . The phonetic ‘& (father) is,discernible as Rin ig the seal form# . & is a picture of | the right hand (3 ) with the rod of authority (1), and implies disei- pline, control and order — as essen ial in weaving as in marrying. So the saying goes: “Hasty weaving produces shoddy cloth; a girl who marries In haste has @ fool for a husband.” “7 al Agiti —bidio preach AiT — biding pudding 5B) bidfing place troops on garrison duty cloth “ — bi'g’a notice; bulletin; proclamation ARES biginido cuckoo AVE bp cloth; piece goods AE bd zhi fix up; arrange; decorate; assign; make arrangements for; give instructions about Example: WL GX PO if fii Be AR + EHR 0 Yong 2h pi bam hing i viding hin doing This cloth will make a pretty dress. 33- IN the seal form A , broom is suggested by a hand (3) with an improvised broom ( ®) — double cloth (M ) attached to a handle (1 ). Although a helping hand (4) can easily turn (broom) into db (swe “no one will sweep a public hall used by everyone.” eal aa séo zhou broom FAR — storhbuxing comet Example: 6h RT iC Mi ma ni jin mé le yi bh xin so chu Mother bought a new broom recently. 3419 FU wife; married woman WOMAN (3) with broom (eg) is the symbol for wife of” married woma ; simplified to woman (3%) with helping hand (@ ). Another character for wife is — woman (4) with broom (f) in hand (2), Whatever the charac- ter, “She who is the wife of one man cannot eat the rice of two.” via shdo fi. young married woman psa fafa husband and wife fap R} fd chin ke (department of) gynaecology and obstetrics ax find woman BA fren ‘married woman 4h fayou women and children Example: KMPAR HK: AT LAP WA Be ‘The wii sho fl zhin ying gin we le zhang fo bd xi xi Shing yi gid She's a brave young woman. She sacrificed herself for the sake of her husband. 35CREATING a symbol to suit_the emperor can be a. thorny problem. The ancient forms 7 and JK represented him with long robes and designated by — CE , Superior). Two arms were later added: 7% . Then the bottom was changed to & (sk. thorns) to produce 3% and finally sg. Hence the saying: “To attend on the emperor is like sleeping with a tiger.” Example: Rt Ab BA BH - Gin shi huing shi Zhing Gud Wi huéng di emperor shang di God di qu empire digué zhi yi imperialism i wing emperor; monarch iti autocratic monarchy; monarchy oe hing Qinshihuang was the first emperor of China. 36a DAI girdle; bring > is a pictograph of the ancient girdle, embellished with trinkets hanging from it: We. At the bottom of the character are, the robes, represented by "A — two tly , one over the other. AB also means to bring or takealong, as articles are often carried, tucked in or worn atthe girdle. RF — Wyindai recording tape TE the tropics we dai i implicate; involve eo ailing lead; guide ait show the way; act asa guide itu take the lead; be the first Example: % Ui i WL — ARE A ME Uo shi i ling Vi gin a8 sting qh pb shin The teacher led a group of students for a climb in the mountain. 37a acti eyes ( B) covered (1), fates a Cover (17) for,something (—), viz., the head ( —). '@ combines with the radical ‘cloth) to produce #@ (hat, cap). A cap does not always fit the head of the wearer because “many a good man can be found under a shabby hat.” PF are RARApR | RT n’chudn mo safety helmet WAR mao hui insignia on a cap vat mao zi headgear; hat; cap; label; tag; brand Example: HET MH > REL SH- Ding shing ging oi shh ging i dB dit hing in quin- mio Please remember to put on the safety helmet when you are at the work site. 38* CHANG always; constantly ‘His made up of the radical rh (cloth) and phonetic i& (elevated), id]. is a picture of the upper part of A house with a roof, 7), a smoke ole (@) and a ridge (1) whic divides (5) wind. and rain. fl “Be represents the banner raised as a yt signal in front of the general's head- quarters | jj and which flies con- stantly:gr « iv \* ‘4 Zhang bai jin standing army Hei chang shi general or elementary knowledge ‘ching ching frequently; generally | ‘#f2S ching tai normal behaviour or conditions ching hul regular meeting “% — chingwi day-to-day business; ching jin common routine ching rién throughout the year; | 7" Efi2L ching yan ddo as the saying goes perennial EFA chéng yéng in common use chéngrén man in the street. ‘HSE chéngzhd resident; permanent Example: we RR ER eo Ta ching ching qu ting yin yu had She goes to the concerts very often. 396 | (Ml) BANG help; assist IN feudal times the emperor relied on the support of his nobles. The seal form of the eharacter for sugh ald com- bines #2 with - £3 de- notes the crops (WY) and land (+) under the noble’s rule (3). signifies the silk or wealth donated. In the modern form the phonetic #7 means state or country represented by woods (# ) and city ( f ). “FEF RP ae He ‘bang mang help; give a hand; do a favour iF bing shou helper; assistant A bing xiong accomplice; accessary ABD bing zhi help; assist Example: KOMIK AK RM FMB > fe HH Re WO ing bi thé wiing shui gud ben dio ond ni onéng bing wi ma Can you help me to carry the carton of fruits there? 40YI clothes AK delineates the outlines of clothing: on the top, the outer garmente with sleeves; at the bot- m, the flowing robes. This picto- graph serves as a radical for charactors relating to Apparently, clothes do_n¢ ‘the man, according to the sayin; “You can change e clothes; cannot change the man.” z Kil yicha wardrobe ACHR yifu clothing; clothes ARSEIERE yl quin chi chi be immaculately dressed KES yiguinginshdu a beast in human attire; brute AR via coat hanger; clothes-rack AR EL(EAT —yishi zhi xing food, clothing, shelter and transportation ~ basic necessities of life Ke viva silverfish; fish moth; bookworm Example: ik fb KAR BR A he jin yi fu shi xin mii de This dress is newly bought! 41Kt trousers meaning trousers, is based on the radical (clothing). The ample storage space of loose Chi- nese trousgrs is suggested by the phonetic Jf. (store). AM may also be written: #§ , the phonetic meaning big (%) talk or excla- mation ( $)- . or robe, the other basic arti- cle of clothing (4), is likened to feathers (g) that warm th body. ae kK ew Ree BLE dun kd shorts WF kai trousers; pants Example: RAMS KRM T > WK fee Te tio kl oo oH dun bi nng chung This pair of pants is too short. 42KK, vedclothes or blankets, are regarded as cloth (e) skin (A). The phonetic A or 5K, represents the skin ( 3) flayed by hand CA) with knife (> 5. faemay also mean to saffer, a sign of the passive, However, 4 diterally, cloth dk wrap @ ) refers to the long robe or outer garment wrapped round the body to keep it warm and active. [ ik ere i bai bd Be bai dn Bal bi dng BF bai fa BS bai gao BEAK bind rén Bue bei po BE bara Example: RAR ho ng be arrested; be under arrest (bed) sheet Passive be captured; be taken prisoner defendant; the accused the injured party; the victim be compelled; be forced; be constrained bedding; bedclothes i tt & Ro eg ai It’s cold. Remember to pull up your blanket, 43K combining 4 with & , means to show or mak dlothes — the manifestation or outer appearance which may be a false front. It is said that when a boy is smail you can see the man, but “A man cannot be known by his looks, nor can the sea be measured with a bushel basket.” IZ —bidocéng surface layer PK ido dé express; convey; voice FA —bidogé —form; table FAR —bidojué decide by vote; vote 2% bidold show; reveal zi bidomian surface; face; outside; appearance Example: MY Xk [o] Gh RA RW Wh Du che win th toma yu bid ming ching He did not express his stand on this matter. 84 Rit ts za bigo ming bio gin bio ging bigo shi bido xian make known; make clear cousin; cousinship express one’s feelings; expression show; express; indicate manifestation; display; manifestMan cannot wait to saw a tree (AC) vertically into two halves: 4 and H. serves as a strong plank for his bed and }4 gs a symbol for a slice or piece. With ‘A and 4 he forms a tripod for an urn fe uses A and its components 4 and as radicals, And so the saying goes: “He planis a tree in the morning ahd wants to saw planks from it in the evenit PIAN slice; piece ay D Dele WE pian duan part; passage; extract; fragment Hal pian ke a short while; an instant; a moment pian shi a short while; a moment pian wa wi cin not a single tile remains — be razed to the ground pin yin a few words; a phrase or two pian zi flat, thin piece; slice; flake; scrap Example: A HE a@ oT wwe To ai ome of du fu be pin ee He was here for a short while. 45the left half of a tree (4), represents a thick, strong plank Bis fe hf adding + * We (bed) — y you . plank ¢W) ‘ of wood (Ak). ‘inother way way ip es, placing (we ‘As ‘you make your bed, you must. tie on it, so “if you can't sleepr don't complain about your bed.” BAAGR — danrén chudng RAPE shuding rén chung Rae cchudng dan RAR cchuang ian PRAY cchuang wai RE chuéing zhao Example: fi Eh i ER Ta wa bing a chung He is sick in bed. Fram LTITTITI single bed double bed bedsheet mattress berth; bunk; bed bedspread 46wine wall al form of the phonetic ignifies grain (ge) stored (A) a double-walled gra- nary (@). The idea of wall is reinforced by the radical symbol of strength. Since are made of clay or earth ( the character may also be wri fen: ff Walls may fortiy a city, but “men, not walls, make a city. wit EEE He dng bi wall cor Giang jo a corner formed by two walls Hae Giang jo the foot of a wall; foundation Example hE HSK Me Gling. bi sheng you vi ge Bing There is a big hole on the wall. 47many seal forms and varied meanings: a meatblock ( 4 ) with meat (Al). represents the imentbiock (9 wih meat (2) at signifies the hand (=) placing meat (2 ) upon JIANG _ take; hold; handle; shall; will Hence the extended 5) |S) ie es CT i AC Cc df <) even used to’ mean leader or general. a reba | | Tt AGEL jing cud jit cud leave a mistake uncorrected and make the best of it Bt turn somebody’s trick against him; beat somebody at his own game ABE close to; nearly; almost GE jing jin general HR jiang tai future Example: RG Wh KR RK Wo jing gig BK owe fo Jam inviting him over to my house 48HUANG HE literally means a strong and impressive ( 1 ) person- ) or one who professes to be so; by extension, strong; strong and able-bodied. eminent, _,,,n.andlogons character ip AX (adorn, disguise) — an Fe impressive (H) woman (46), ie., one who adorns herselt yy CBimpressive with make-up. thuang din embolden; boost somebody’s courage ahuang it majestic; magnificent; glorious huang lid heroic; brave huang sh hero; warrior huang shi sturdy; robust aang zh gteat aspiration; lofty ideal Example: fh 4 Hl dt Fl Pi HE ° Ta wa 98 thang ishing He sacrificed heroically for his country. 49TAUANG pack; fill; pretend He, the phonetic, it. It was orl CPP TU i ele dress up; disguise ABIES thulng ging behave affectedly; BE aang bei equip; equipment; outfit be artifical SEHR thusng hit pretend not to know AS‘ chudng shi decorate; adorn; Ee Gie huang bd loading (cargo) : _omament; deck 4EHi%E — auang ich armoured car BER thing sh dress; attire AEBE(EA aang mind yang. be affected; put on an act BAS ting xt fit up (a house, ete.) 3282 ahudng pai assemble: fit together 2 thuingzhl instal; fit; installation Example: eR EK MAR > Ta thing Léo Blog. zhang She acted like an old lady. 50g xI evening sk, evening. To man, the rising moon presents oppor- tunities but the proverb laments: “How seldom in life is the moon * directly overhead!” —H—2 yizhdoyixi overnight a8 xian evening mist IA xi yéng the setting sun oR x zhio the glow of the setting sun; evening glow Example: xe el GRR - HY fe we HR MY - The we win th bi shi yi tho yi ning git je ub de These problems cannot be solved overnight. 51From morning to evening man toiled in the field, and evening (¥ ) after evening (4 ) he noted the fruitage of his labour, “Many evenings” ( % ) soon ‘came to mean “many”. His hard work bore much ( ¥ ) fruit ( ), producing many; a new word: ¥% (fruitful) and demonstrating the principle: “Sow much, much reap much; sow little, reap little.” BE dud ban the greater part; most rly dud shio. amount; somewhat; ZAGE duc diy versatile; gifted in many ways how many SHE wei make an unnecessary move BAY dubstl along time 47TH dud fang min‘ many-sided; in many ways Silt abxh thanks lot E21] a qb gingst multinational corporation Bay Co xn oversensitive; suspicious SHR anne SF dubyi unnecessary; superfluous % "5 dud ai speak out of turn we 6 ji multinational country Example: te Ho eB RY Ni de din in shi dio yi de Your worries are unnecessary| ou enough 41 is to hook (7 ) with the mouth Ca): tg entice; % means much, many. $4] therefore signifies to en-, tice many, i. enough, But enough (Ay i ‘enough, according togede the proverb: “To complete a thinj a hundred years is not sufficient is more than‘ du bin break even gu péng you bea friend indeed ‘gou shou de quite an ordeal gou yisi really something; terrific ; generous; really kind Example: RHR ET Ae Rw ‘The ching gu sé ke then ghy st That was really a terrific game 53DIE _It,takes three desperate characters to represent father: & is raised hand (22) wielding a rod (1). ¥ incorporates $ — much raising of hand with rod. father; @ includes & — poised like a snake, ready to strike. daddy’ All of them exemplify the saying, “It is easier to rule a nation than a son.” FF |3 BE ba ba papa; dad; father bE ig father; dad; papa St dig rigng parents RE fl ldo elders (of a country or district) OB fami father and mother; parents QR fd gin father FEB fUcinshi relatives on the paternal side Example: QHPBK RREE-MLD: Fi gn ie od tan sing Mei yw On Father’s Day, I gave my father a present. 54»| 9 WAI outside Stis composed of ¥ (evening) and t (divine). Divination ( f ), by interpreting’ the vertical (! ) and horizontal ( - ) cracks of a heated tortoise-shell, was deemed effective only before (or outside of) evening. Hence the meaning: outside or foreign. And for such outside or foreign. help, many will pay handsomely — those: who place trust in the saying: money moves the gods.” 7 Pe eA hii waibl foreign currency YbBE wii jido diplomacy; foreign affairs Yhih waibian outside; out git waikudi extra income Yh waibiso outward appearance; exterior | p9% waimo foreign trade Yh$E waibin foreign guest YbSt_waimdo appearance; looks yh waging (maternal) grandfather yRA. wairén stranger; outsider wai gud foreign country YhJ waisin daughter’s son; grandson 9h wai hing layman; nonprofessional Jh4S waitio overcoat Yb wail foreign nationality Example. ROM RK Rb T° WO divin yin bin wai hing Tam a layman in music. 55The seal forms of dream are horrifying enough to evoke a nightmare. No wonder the original character; = means bad sight ( g ) with covered (7 ) Dreams being evening visions, # replaces @ in the new form: (evening trees) — a pleasant dream. Unfor- tiful dream is soon ended. Sis meng hua words uttered in one’s sleep; somniloquy EG) ‘mang huan illusion; dream; reverie 35, mang jing dreamland; dreamworld; dream eH mang xidng dream of; vainly hope SRE méng you zhéng somnambulism; sleepwalking Example: We WR AR OT UL tn BLO th > 26 win WS Sng fini hid ming. al Theard you talk in your sleep last night. 56‘The seal character J@ depicts man ( X ) sleeping on his side ( / ) in the evening ( 9 ). The modern form #@ shows man (4 ) under cover (=) lying on his other side (\ ) also in the evening ( ¥ ). If night can be suggested by sleep, as in both these forms, then day can be transformed into night, as demonstrated by our sleepy characters shown here. FRR baiyb che TE ye bin BE ya ban RAYS ye ching mang dud «I. ve ging ae ye mang mi yeain Pei, yewan PEUHRA ye yijie Example: LeRE t & Um Ging ching zing zB ye work deep into the night; burn the midnight oil night shift midnight a long night is fraught with dreams — a long delay means many hitches night job night blindness night duty night day and night; round the clock A dh wt 47 > ide jin ng Work is going on day and night at the construction site. 874,7RHEAG ming bi xi chuén live up to one’s reputation At ming 08 register a ming chan famous product Bie ming chéng name (of a thing or organization) Ze ming din ‘name list A ming gui famous and precious; rare Example: hAMW e- He eT Ta yong de shi yi ling ming péi de che ai The car he is using is of a famous brand. 58 BE Bite Hie Ar je Ale ming jo ming fi ming pai ming pian ming shéng ming shéng the Confucian ethical code distinguished personages famous brand visiting card; calling card reputation; repute; renown a place famous for its scenery or historical relicsf ‘Name (4) on metal or gold (4) means to carve, ae inseribe or engrave: Z&. Because a good name is worth more than gold, itis durable, unllke the rotten J inscribe; one reterred to In the proverb: “Decayed wood engrave ‘cannot be carved.” oo. ae s ee ming zhi f€i fl ~~ engrave on one’s mind (memory); bear firmly in mind ming gin be deeply grateful ining j engrave on one’s mind; always remember ming Ke inscription; always remember ming wen inscription; epigraph Example: ea hie Blo Ta bb md an de flo i oming anf 4 He a his mother’s teachings firmly in mind. 3950 YUAN 7s | natrea; resentment ‘This character is based on “Cs (heart), the seat of feelings. The phonetic indicates a turning away (@) from ‘someone hateful, acting as if it were night (9) and calling It » day. If such hatred or resentment leads to ‘violence, remember the counsel: “An angry fist cannot strike a smiling face.” ye RRA yin bude cannot blame PEAKE ‘yuan fn discontent and indignation et yuan hn have a grudge against somebody; hate; resentment yuan ql grievance; complaint; resentment yuan tin yurén blame god and man — blame everyone and everything but oneself yuan yan complaint; grumble Example: Btw > & ®t fh 1 iB Bi > Bios hl yun bu demon chlo The bus broke down. No wonder they were late. 60M CONG follow; from 4 represents two men (AA) palking ae (4) and stopping (4+). In the seal form, 4 and 3: are united into # (going). The simplified form is 44, — a> man following another man — a simple fash, in view of the saying: “To know the truth is easy; but, ah, how difficult it is to follow it? VIA WIA JAF cong rng calm; unhurried; leisurely JA% cong shi go in for; be engaged in SAME cong el from this time on; henceforth MJ cing shi subordinate MM{8i céng jn conform to the principle of simplicity | 3 cingsd as soon as possible MAE céngiin join the army; enlist AKA cong tu from the beginning; anew MK cing isi always; at all times; all along Muss cing xigo from childhood; as a child AAAI céng gin before; formerly; in the past KAP. cng zhdng out of; from among Example: RM RR A WM at fh - We cig mB you jd gio Thave never seen him before. 6147 XING walk; go HANG shop; trade TR hang jia expert ATH hing lid ranks te hang ing quotations (on the market); prices Fk hang yé trade; profession; industry Ae hing zhing —president (of a bank) 4T7RiiH xing bu ting won't do or work; get nowhere TEA xing rén pedestrian FI xing zheng administration Example: i le] ie EM AR HE A TF Me BY? Ging win ni shi céng shi shén me hing ye de May I know your profession?sheep gees 7H FF DE get; obtain 4 , the radical, means step. The phonetic § — to lay hands ( + ) ‘on what one has in view (or 2 ) — signifies to obtain. Hoy ever, laying hands on money not easy: “Money comes like eart! picked up with a pin, but goes like sand washed away by water.” “bE Knee FETHER — dé cin jin chi give him an inch and he” Il take an ell; be insatiable get; obtain; gain; receive win or be awarded a prize win a victory; triumph gain and loss; success and failure 4B) dé dao oy dé fen score BR 06 jing TBE dé shéng eR 4 shi Example: Kt hike HBR ing ahing ban fg yu dh Each of the two methods has its advantages and disadvantages. 63 be in power; get the upper hand hear of; learn about benefit; profit achieve one’s ambition offend; displeasevo DE virtue; goodness sass oe & means straight ( ~ ) as tested by _ fen (+) eyes (8). & is the heart, So the phonetic :€ denotes a straight heart. Clarified by the radical for step ( 4) to mean the way to virtue is defined by the 7 i (EAB HE 06 gio wang zhing —_be of noble character and high prestige Dé Gub Germany 6 xing moral integrity; moral conduct ya moral education ping 68 moral character Example: KRRPREE ERR HT ER e Tring fii iin ai thing aif ng yD The government is at present actively promoting moral education. 64i RS s = ws 28 ia i ee eae mae "8 = R-=g eet a: “wad gout Seis : £ gage ge 65i ‘The phonetic (or ans stubborn — to turn around ( \ and eye ee ae Lr rr ‘stubbornness; henee intensive, very. Am analogous character in 4. — obstinate ( ) very; and beastly (4). quite EE RPE HETR ho de hn very good RAE hin you do fi contain much truth; be quite correct Example: fe WY BA fh BY fe de BL Re SI i WH Rs Ta de shing si cuit © de gong md ido xidn gin déohén min yi His boss is very pleased with his work performance. 664%, the radical, represents footpri s; it means to go, walk or travel. The phonetic £ (soil + doubled) suggests road, street or ground for walking. ‘Travelling on a road can be trying, hence: “Long roads test the horse; long dealings test the friend.” 7B ee ee ie be eve TT ii dio street; residential district; neighbourhood ji fang neighbour i shi downtown streets iié tu street corner; street ji tou xiang wéi streets and lanes Example: 7B BM RW A He og wh io chi Gu SHH hun Bde cin gin we tu There are happy crowds in all the streets and lanes. 67Lv ‘The phonetic % signifies written regulations — hand (+ ) with pen (L) writing lines (- ) on tablet (—). The radical 4 (step) suggests steps taken to enforce them as law to protect the citizens. However, Jaw; rule “Going to the law is losing a cow for the sake of a cal discipline a Ou bamboo pitch-pipes used in ancient China; temperament ei 1 shi lawyer; barrister; solicitor Wi shi a poem of eight lines, each containing five or seven characters, with a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme Example: we i A BG MP in fing Wb shi wb lo iin ‘The lawyer speaks in defence of the accused. 68