| 的 de Definition: possessive particle Components: white 白 + spoon 勺 Way to remember: This is MY white spoon! |
| 请 qĭng Definition: to ask (please) or invite Components: word 言 + (lush/lively 生 + red 丹-sometimes written as meat 月=) green 青 Way to remember: Lively red (or green) words are pleasing |
| 在 zài Definition: at, on, to exist Components: only 才 + earth 土 Way to remember: I'm only on earth |
| 来 (來) lái Definition: come, (to) Components: (not historical components, but helps to memorize) rice 米 + single 一 Way to remember: A single grain of rice comes to me
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| 为 (為) wéi Definition: to be(come) Components: (not historical components, but helps to memorize) strength 力 + two dots 丶 丶 Way to remember: Strong, my dots have become
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| 到 dào Definition: to (a place), arrive Components: a swooping bird 至 + knife 刀 Way to remember: The bird has a knife, it's swooping towards me! (the bird has a line above it's beak, two wings, a body, and a tail, draw the knife next to it)
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| 就 jiù Definition: then, only (also used for emphasis) Components: a hill 京 (capital, also used in the word 北京); + special 尤 Way to remember: That hill is special!
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| 能 néng Definition: can, may, able to Components: mix 亼 + meat 月 + ladle 匕 Way to remember: You CAN stir the meat with two ladles
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| 时 (時) shí Definition: time Components: sun 日 + unit of length (measure) 寸 Way to remember: Time is the sun's position measurement
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| 说 (說) shuō Definition: speak, say Components: words 言 + separate 八 + mouth 口 + person 儿 Way to remember: When words separate lips, a person speaks
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| 对 (對) duì Definition: correct, right, to/for, oppose Components: right hand 又 + right hand 寸 Way to remember: Two rights make a right
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| 看 kàn Definition: look, see, watch Components: hand 手 + eye 目 Way to remember: Put your hand (4 strokes) above your eyes (5 strokes) to look far away
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| 那 nà/nă Definition: that, those, how, which Components: fur 毛 + mound 阜 Way to remember: The first character looks like moon 月 with beams of light 三, the second looks like the letter "B", so 'That is a moon "B"eam'
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| 年 nián Definition: year Components: thousand 千 + grains 禾 Way to remember: Break it down into three two-stroke parts, the last being 十
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| 先 xiān Definition: first, before Components: progress 之 + legs 儿 Way to remember: The progress of your legs gets you there first
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| 生 shēng Definition: birth, life Components: (historically a pictograph of plant growth) progress 之 + earth 土 Way to remember: Life comes out of the earth
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