allograph (different shape but same meaning)

connotation as a character part

abbreviated, abbreviation

contracted, contraction

extended meaning

government

kanji, ideograph, character

literal translation from the Shuowen Jiezi

modified, modification

mijn hanzi, modification

opposite meaning or situation

when used as a character part

explanation according to Richard Sears (http://hanziyuan.net/)

one of the 214 radicals in the traditional character classification system

situation chosen for evoking this meaning

suffix for counting units of objects, etc.

Unclassified by Joseph De Roo.

Characters

Primitives

Primitives are character components which can be used to decompose a character and fabricate a story around it to remember it. Most of the time components where joined because of their pronunciation to certain signific parts. This means that originally a character had a signific part, giving meaning to it, and a phonetic part, giving a phonetic clue to the character. In case we use the original meaning we always put the marker RS. in front which means that the meaning comes from the excellent site from Richard Sears about Chinese Etymology. More information can be found here.

Knowing these primitives well will aid in remembering them. Primitives are always colored light green on this site.

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黽黽R S 黾黾		strive, endeavour, turtle, frog, amphibian, rad. 205	turtle with head 口 and tail 电: → 黽: it's endeavouring
网网R S	罒⺲罓⺳𠕀𠕃𦉮𦉯𦉳𦋟𦌅	net, network, rad. 122	→ → 网 con. bag, pocket	睘曼濁憲夢爵罰罪罷買置羅署
尸尸R S	𠃜𡰣	corpse, to impersonate the dead, to preside, rad. 44	person lying crouched seen from above → 尸 con.: body	厶夋人個; 辟声戸; 3742-3778
爿爿R S	丬	half of tree trunk, rad. 90	lit. half of a tree → → 爿	片
曰曰R S		say, reason, pretext, history, past, flat sun rad. 73	mouth with lips → 曰	don't confuse with 日
串串R S		skewer	pieces of meat 口口 on a stick 丨	患
氣氣R S 气气		steam, vapor, spirit, rad. 84	rising steam or mist → 气 steaming 气 freshly cooked rice 米 the spirit is floating over the water like steam
馬馬R S 马马		horse, surname, rad. 187	→ 馬 animal fast like a bird 隹 but without wings , it has four 灬 feet and a tail 丶 and is fast and raging like fire 灬	牛; 驚篤; 騰
丨丨R S			rad. 2 link, number one, line
臼臼R S	旧	mortar	→ 臼 → 旧
离离R S		rare beast, strange, elegant	RS. animal with head at top and butt and tail at bottom: → 离 it is unfortunate 㐫 that rare beasts are almost never seen because of their typical 厶 camouflage 冂	離
四四R S	𦉭亖	four	originally 𦉭 → 四, looks like something that is cut in four pieces con. a few, small group	丁
十十R S		ten, tenth, complete, perfect	direction east west 一 and direction north south 丨 refers to everything which is under the four wind directions; perfect in all directions; con.: many, high intensity	汁協博針計什; 拾; 旬; 多; 早辛
白白R S	𦣺𤼽	white, pure, unblemished, bright, rad. 106	modf. → 𦣺 or 𤼽 → 白: white rice grain 目 (white as the sun 日), part of a stem 丨 looks like a white paint bucket with a paint brush 丶 dipping into the bucket 日	糧飯; 禾米; 楽激泊泉的皇迫舶皆拍伯線食百原習
八八R S	丷	eight, all around, all sides	eight can be separated in two: two diverging branches → 八 con.: several, even, divide	辛; 㕣罙分父公谷
力力R S		power, capability, influence	image of a man 人 flexing his muscles: → 力	艮雄猛強剛; 精勢; 尽
門門R S 门门	𨳇	gate, door, entrance, opening	→ 門; two doors 戶 make up one gate ⓢ looks like the frame of a door 冂 and it's door closer 丶, with the door itself missing	砲鬥
女女R S		woman, girl, feminine, rad. 38	person 人 holding a baby: → 女 looks like a woman sitting down with legs crossed	汝姿婆妄安宴数接威妻; 1744-1778; 桜楼妥委要嬰
五五R S	㐅	five	hand with five fingers → 五 con.: hand	戊
木木R S	朩	tree, wood, lumber, wooden	→ → 木; con.: wooden thing, plant, vegetation	术采禾染麻, 樹; 幹; 薪

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