Remembering The Kanji

Front 1

一

Back 1

One

Prim: floor; ceiling

Front 2

二

Back 2

Two

Note: bottom stroke is longer

Front 3

三

Back 3

Three

Note: shorter middle stroke

Front 4

四

Back 4

Four

Comp: Mouth...human legs

Front 5

五

Back 5

Five

Front 6

六

Back 6

Six

Comp: top hat...animal legs

Front 7

七

Back 7

Seven

Note: horizontal "cuts" through, unlike kanji for "spoon"
Prim: diced, "cut" into little pie es

Front 8

八

Back 8

Eight

Note: gives felling of"all encompassing" like eternity symbol of lazy eight

Front 9

九

Back 9

Nine

Note: left stroke first
Prim: baseball, baseball team

Front 10

十

Back 10

Ten

Prim: ten, needle

Front 11

口

Back 11

Mouth (11)

Hint 11

Prim: mouth and affiliated meanings such as opening or hole

Front 12

日

Back 12

Day (12)

Hint 12

Prim: sun, day, tongue wagging in the mouth

Front 13

月

Back 13

Month (13)

Hint 13

Note: picto of moon
Prim: moon, flesh, part of the body

Front 14

田

Back 14

Rice field (14)

Hint 14

Note: birds eye view of rice field
Prim: rice field, brains

Front 15

目

Back 15

Eye (15)

Hint 15

In complex kanji it may be turned sideways, as in 罟
Prim: eye, eyeball,

Front 16

古

Back 16

Old (16)

Hint 16

Comp: ten, mouth
Mem: picto of tombstone with cross on top
Prim: old

Front 17

吾

Back 17

I (17) - in the general psychological sense of "perceiving subject."

Hint 17

Mem: the one place in our body with all FIVE senses is in the head, which has FIVE MOUTHS (2 nostrils, 2 eras, 1 mouth= 5 mouths = I)

Front 18

冒

Back 18

Risk (18)

Hint 18

Comp: sun...eye
Mem: do not Turn your EYE up to the SUN or you RISK burning your eyes out.

Front 19

朋

Back 19

Companion (19)

Hint 19

Comp: flesh...flesh
Mem: the first COMPANION god made was eve. Upon seeing her, Adam exclaimed, "FLESH of my FLESH!"

Front 20

明

Back 20

Bright (20)

Hint 20

Comp: sun...moon
Mem: among nature's BRIGHT lights are the SUN to rule the day and the MOON to rule the night.

Front 21

唱

Back 21

Chant (21)

Hint 21

Mem: 1 MOUTH making no noise (choirmaster) and two MOUTHS WITH WAGGING TONGUES (mini u. For a chorus); think of CHANT as monastery singing.

Front 22

品

Back 22

Goods (23)

Hint 22

Note: The triplication of a single element indicates "everywhere" or heaps of."
Mem: we think of GOODS as what is produced for the masses of open MOUTHS waiting to "consume" whatever comes their way.

Front 23

呂

Back 23

Spine (24)

Hint 23

Mem: looks like 2 vertebrae in the SPINE linked by a single stroke

Front 24

晶

Back 24

Sparkle (22)

Hint 24

When think of SPARKLE, think of diamond which looks like every facet is a miniature SUN when held to the light. This kanji shows SUNS in 3 locations ( that is, "everywhere") to give the impression of something that SPARKLES on all sides

Front 25

昌

Back 25

Prosperous (25)

Hint 25

What could be more PROSPEROUS than a sky with 2 SUNS in it?

Front 26

早

Back 26

Early (26)

Hint 26

Picture a SUNflower with a NEEDLE for a stem which is the EARLY riser in the garden because the SUN chooses to shine on it's namesake first.

Prim: sunflower

Front 27

旭

Back 27

Rising sun (27)

Hint 27

Nickname for Japanese flag and it's depiction of the RISING SUN.

Picture the RISING SUN flag Sitting on a BASEBALL bat for a flagpole and you have a pic of how BASEBALL has caught on in the land of the RISING SUN.

Front 28

世

Back 28

Generation (28)

Hint 28

We consider 1 GENERATION to be a period of 30 (10+10+10 years). If you lookat this kanji you can see three 10s with horizontal lines to add them up.

Front 29

胃

Back 29

Stomach (29)

Hint 29

This kanjij says that the PART OF THE BODY that keeps the BRAIN in working order is the STOMACH. For order, think of the BRAIN as being "held up" by the FLESH.

Front 30

旦

Back 30

Nightbreak (30)

Hint 30

What we refer to as "daybreak" the Japanese refer to as " opening up of night into day," hence the word "night break."

The knaij shows the SUN poking over the FLOOR or HORIZON.

Front 31

胆

Back 31

Gall bladder (31)

Hint 31

"Don't let the NIGHTBREAK on your anger," that is to say, your GALL, the PART OF THE FLESH the filters out the choler/ bile historically associated with anger.

Front 32

亘

Back 32

Span (32)

Hint 32

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset. See the journey of the SUN as it moves from one HORIZON (floor) to it's heights (CIELING) then sinking to mark the SPAN of our lives.

Front 33

凹

Back 33

Concave (33)

Front 34

凸

Back 34

Convex (34)

Front 35

Primitive

|

Back 35

*Walking stick*
can be laid on it's side but will always be driven through some other element.

Front 36

Primitive

'

Back 36

A drop of

Generally written right to left, but can be slanted left to right or stretched. Can have meaning of Eyedropper

Front 37

旧

Back 37

Olden times (35)

Hint 37

A WALKING STICK is needed for DAYS of OLDEN TIMES since DAYS too, get old.

"good old days"

Front 38

自

Back 38

Oneself (36)

Hint 38

Pictograph of the nose, that little DROP between your EYES. The Japanese refer to themselves by pointing to their nose, indicating ONESELF.
Primitive: oneself, nose, nostrils

Front 39

白

Back 39

White (37)

Hint 39

WHITE is a mix of all primary colors for light. So a DROP of SUN spells WHITE.

Prim: white, white bird, dove

Front 40

百

Back 40

Hundred (38)

Hint 40

Japanese refer to 99th b-day as a " white year." because WHITE is what you are left with if you subtract ONE from a HUNDRRED.

Front 41

中

Back 41

In (39)

Hint 41

A mother prying open a MOUTH with a WALKING STICK to stick food IN.

Front 42

千

Back 42

Thousand (40)

Hint 42

Think of squeezing two more zeros out of the EYEDROPPER alongside the number TEN below to make a THOUSAND.

Front 43

舌

Back 43

Tongue (41)

Hint 43

THOUSAND MOUTHS able to speak the same language, or a common "TONGUE."

Front 44

升

Back 44

Measuring box (42)

Hint 44

A box used for measuring and drinking sake out of. Picture one with the outside spike with a THOUSAND sharp NEEDLES.

Front 45

昇

Back 45

Rise up (43)

Hint 45

SUN RISING UP out of a MEDICINE BOX.

Front 46

丸

Back 46

Round (44)

Hint 46

If you add a DROP to NINE you get a ROUND number.

Prim: fat man ( a round baseball player = fat man)

Front 47

寸

Back 47

Measurement (45)

Hint 47

Stood for a measurerment used before the metric system. Was 1/10 of a shaku. So: one DROP of a TEN (with a hook!)
Prim: glue, glued to

Front 48

専

Back 48

Specialty (46)

Hint 48

TEN FEILDS GLUED together represent someone's specialty.

Front 49

博

Back 49

Dr. (47)

Hint 49

Think of a DOCTOR who is a SPECIALIST with a NEEDLE and let the DROP represent the period at the end of Dr.

Front 50

Primitive

卜

Back 50

*Diving rod* or *magic wand* comprised of a drop and walking stick.

Front 51

朝

Back 51

Morning (52)

Hint 51

In the right is the MOON fading at the first light of MORNING, and to the left, the MIST that has a coated nature to prepare it for the coming heat.

Front 52

占

Back 52

Fortune-telling (48)

Hint 52

A DIVING ROD with a MOUTH directly translates into FORTUNE-TELLING.

Front 53

上

Back 53

Above (49)

Hint 53

A MAGIC WAND floating above a FLOOR.

Front 54

下

Back 54

Below (50)

Hint 54

A MAGIC WAND suspended below a ceiling.

Front 55

卓

Back 55

Eminent (51)

Hint 55

The word eminent suggests a famous or well-known person. So picture the most EMINENT magician in the world who uses a SUNFLOWER for a MAGIC WAND.

Front 56

Primitive

ハ

Back 56

Animal legs

Front 57

Primitive

儿

Back 57

Human legs

Front 58

Primitive

几

Back 58

Wind; weather vane

It's an enclosure because things are often drawn inside

Front 59

Primitive

勹

Back 59

Bound up

An enclosure that can wrap around other elements in the kanji. If it's o. Top of a kanji it is compressed and the hook is dropped off.

Front 60

只

Back 60

Only (53)

Depicts an animal that is the ONLY one of it's kind. A pacMan like creature with only a gigantic MOUTH and ANIMAL LEGS.

Front 61

貝

Back 61

shellfish (54)

Hint 61

imagine a freakish SHELLFISH with a single, gigantic EYE roaming the beaches on its slender ANIMAL LEGS, scaring the beach goers.

Front 62

貞

Back 62

upright (55)

Hint 62

imagine a MAGIC WAND over a SHELLFISH making it walk UPRIGHT

Front 63

員

Back 63

employee (56)

Hint 63

picture an office building full of workers scurrying about with CLAMS pinched to their MOUTHS to keep them quiet as they work.

Front 64

見

Back 64

see (57)

Hint 64

an EYE affixed to HUMAN LEGS; surely there is a vivid image from past experience that makes you think of the word "SEE."

Front 65

児

Back 65

newborn babe (58)

Hint 65

The OLDEN TIMES character up top represents old father time, while the HUMAN LEGS represent BABY new year crawling at his feet.

Front 66

元

Back 66

beginning (59)

Hint 66

"In the BEGINNING..." says the bible, TWO beings; hence, TWO and HUMAN LEGS represent the BEGINNING.

Front 67

頁

Back 67

page (60)

Hint 67

ONE DROP OF wisdom printed on a single PAGE made from the shell of an OYSTER.

Prim: head (preferably one detached from its body)

Front 68

頑

Back 68

stubborn (61)

Hint 68

The root of all STUBBORNESS goes back to the BEGINNING, with two brothers, Cain and Abel, each STUBBORNLY being pig-HEADed about who was more loved by God.

Front 69

凡

Back 69

mediocre (62)

Hint 69

something MEDIOCRE is but a "DROP in the WIND"

Front 70

負

Back 70

Defeat (63)

Hint 70

imagine 2 OYSTERS engaged in shell-to-shell combat, the one who is DEFEATED being BOUND UP and gagged with seaweed.

Front 71

万

Back 71

ten thousand (64)

Hint 71

given that a comma is used in english to BIND UP larger numbers, it follows that ONE and BOUND UP come to form 10,000 since that is the numerical increment of the japanese.
NOTE: stroke order is counter-intuitive. Write ONE, the right side of BOUND up, then connect the two.

Front 72

句

Back 72

phrase (65)

Hint 72

a PHRASE is nothing more than a number of words BOUND UP tightly so they will flow nicely from your MOUTH.

Front 73

肌

Back 73

texture (66)

Hint 73

whenever a PART OF THE BODY is exposed to the WIND for a long period, its TEXTURE changes.

Front 74

旬

Back 74

decameron (= A period of 10 days.) (67)

Hint 74

picture a journey of ten DAYS taken by a band of people--that is, a group of people BOUND TOGETHER for the DAYS of the DECAMERON.

Front 75

勺

Back 75

ladle (68)

Hint 75

if you want to BIND UP DROPS of anything you use a LADLE.

Front 76

的

Back 76

bully's eye (69)

Hint 76

imagine a rusty old LADLE with a BULL'S EYE painted on it in the form of a tiny WHITE BIRD, who lets out a peep every time you hit it.

Front 77

首

Back 77

neck (70)

Hint 77

picture a moose-head hanging on a den wall, with its great HORNS and long NOSE and remember that the moose head is always hung up by the NECK.

Front 78

乙

Back 78

Fish guts (71)

Hint 78

pictograph of a fishook. Can also have meanings "pure," "tasteful," and "quaint."

Prim: fish hook: when at the bottom of a kanji it is flattened, when at the right side, the top hortizontal stroke is omitted and the diagonal stroke becomes completely vertical.

Front 79

乱

Back 79

Riot (72)

Hint 79

in a RIOT, manners are laid aside and a RIOTING TONGUE is "barbed" like a FISHHOOK and sets to attacking the opposition.

Front 80

直

Back 80

straightaway (73)

Hint 80

together, the NEEDLE and EYE can mean the EYE OF A NEEDLE; below them is the FISHHOOK that has been STRAIGHTENED OUT and its barb removed so that it can pass through the EYE OF THE NEEDLE.

Front 81

Primitive:

Back 81

Tool (pg. 47)

Hint 81

Although this primitive is not very common, it is useful to know. It is always drawn on the very bottom of a kanji. The horizontal line is detached from anything above it, but is necessary to distinguish TOOL from ANIMAL LEGS. The sense of the element is a carpenter's TOOL, which comes from its pictographic representation of a small table with legs, so that any element lying on top of it will come to be viewed as a TOOL in the hands of a carpenter.

Front 82

具

Back 82

tool (74)

Hint 82

think of a table fool of carpenter's TOOLS of all sorts, each with its own EYE so it can keep watch on everything you are doing with it.

Front 83

真

Back 83

true (75)

Hint 83

we see the EYE OF THE NEEDLE used as a TOOL to give a measure of what is TRUE and what is not.

Front 84

工

Back 84

craft (76)

Hint 84

Pictograph of an I-beam.

Primitive: craft, artificial, I-beam

Front 85

Primitive:

Back 85

By one's side (pg. 48)

Hint 85

This primitive has the look of 10, except that the left stroke is bent down toward the left. It indicates where your hands (your 10 fingers) fall when you let them drop: BY YOUR SIDE. The stroke order can be reversed, but the second stroke should always be longer than the first.

Front 86

左

Back 86

left (as opposed to right) (77)

Hint 86

traditionally, the LEFT has been considered the "sinister" SIDE, where dark and occult CRAFTS are cultivated.

Note: second stroke droops over to left and is longer than the first.

Front 87

右

Back 87

Right (as opposed to left) (78)

Hint 87

use the dual meaning to imagine a little MOUTH hanging down by your SIDE - like a little voice of conscience - telling you the RIGHT thing to do.

Note: the second stroke should reach out to the right and be longer than the first.

Front 88

有

Back 88

possess (79)

Hint 88

picture here an evil spirit in POSSESSION of one's soul who can only be exorcized by allowing fresh MEAT to putrefy BY ONE'S SIDE till the stink chases it away.

Front 89

賄

Back 89

bribe (80)

Hint 89

A person who is POSSESSED by SHELLS (a form of currency) is likely to abandon higher principles for the sake of a BRIBE.

Front 90

貢

Back 90

tribute (81)

Hint 90

Through the CRAFT of calilng a tax a TRIBUTE, rulers have for centuries parted citizens from their hard earned SHELLS.

Front 91

項

Back 91

paragraph (82)

Hint 91

when we think of PARAGRAPH we immediately think of a HEADing device to break text into parts. Just how and where to do it is up to the writer's CRAFT. So define PARAGRAPHING as "HEADING CRAFT"

Front 92

刀

Back 92

sword (83)

Hint 92

See this as a pictograph of the handle of a SWORD

Prim: in the kanji form, the prim is "dagger." When to the right side of a kanji, it takes the form as seen in 則 and means "saber."

Front 93

刃

Back 93

blade (84)

Hint 93

think of using a DAGGER as a razor BLADE, it shouldn't be hard to imagine cutting yourself. See the DROP of blood still clinging to the edge.

Front 94

切

Back 94

cut (85)

Hint 94

picture a japanese chef grabbing a DAGGER and DICING up everything in sight, including CUTTING up the drapes and carpet.

Front 95

召

Back 95

seduce (86)

Hint 95

A SWORD posed over a MOUTH is how "beckoning" is written, but the related though less tame key word, SEDUCE seems to fight better with the kanji's implications.

Prim: seduce

Front 96

昭

Back 96

shining (87)

Hint 96

SHINING one's shoes for the purpose of SEDUCING down the SUN on them for all to see.

Front 97

Primitive:

Back 97

Wealth (pg. 52)

Hint 97

Here is the somewhat rare primitive for WEALTH. It takes its meaning from the comon image of the overWEALTHy as overfed. More specifically, the kanji shows us ONE single MOUTH devouring all the harvest of the FIELDS, presumably while those who labor in them go hungry.

Front 98

則

Back 98

rule (88)

Hint 98

think of digging for CLAMS where there are gaming RULES governing how large a find has to be before you can keep it. So you crack a CLAM open with your SABER which has been notched like a yardstick to see if its the size RULES say it has to be.

Front 99

副

Back 99

Vice- (89)

Hint 99

as in "second in command." the great and flashing SABER and the WEALTH combine to create an image of dividing one's property to give a share to one's VICE-WEALTH holder.

Front 100

別

Back 100

separate (90)

Hint 100

In the old east a samurai and his SABER were never SEPARATED. This character depicts a samurai BOUND UP with a rope and unable to get at his SABER just a few feet away. Look at that mouth BELLOWING out of shame and sorrow!

Front 101

丁

Back 101

street (91)

Hint 101

the picture here is of a STREET sign on a long pole

Prim: nail, spike

Front 102

町

Back 102

village (92)

Hint 102

STREET signs standing at the corner of the RICE FEILDS depict the VILLAGE limits.

Front 103

可

Back 103

can (as in the ability to do something) (93)

Hint 103

think of 'the little engine that could.' see the train huffing and puffing up the mountain "i think i CAN. I think i CAN." spitting railroad SPIKES out of its MOUTH as it goes along.

Front 104

頂

Back 104

place on the head (94)

Hint 104

a formal metaphor for "humble acceptance." Think of "hitting the NAIL on the HEAD."

Front 105

子

Back 105

child (95)

Hint 105

pictograph of a CHILD wrapped up in one of those baby cocoons. the first stroke is the wee head the second shows the body and legs all wrapped up. final stroke is arms sticking out to cling to momma's back.

prim: child (older than an infant)

Front 106

孔

Back 106

cavity (96)

Hint 106

one of the things CHILDREN fear most is the dentist's chair where he will be told he has a CAVITY (which really means hole) that must be dealt with by using metal HOOKS.

Front 107

了

Back 107

complete (97)

Hint 107

a CHILD with its arms tucked in is a picture of a wrap job successfully COMPLETED.

Front 108

女

Back 108

woman (98)

Hint 108

pictograph of arms, legs and head of woman.

prim: woman

Front 109

好

Back 109

fond (99)

Hint 109

"to be FOND of someone" has a gentleness about it that gives us the related term "fondle." which we see here as a WOMAN fondles her CHILD.

Front 110

如

Back 110

likeness (100)

Hint 110

to be reborn as an adult, you may have to pass through the psychological equivalent of the womb, that is, something that bears a LIKENESS to the OPENING of the WOMAN from whom you were born.

Front 111

母

Back 111

mama (101)

Hint 111

looking closely will reveal the outline of WOMAN in this kanji though it has expanded to make room for the breasts that make her a MAMA.

PRIM: breasts;
when used as a primitive the two dots are connected to form a single vertical stroke.

Front 112

貫

Back 112

pierce (102)

Hint 112

think of PIERCING an ear with a mother-of-pearl (actually MAMA-of-pearl) that you have just wrested from an OYSTER.

Front 113

兄

Back 113

elder brother (103)

Hint 113

what else is an ELDER BROTHER but a big MOUTH on tall HUMAN LEGS?

prim: teenager

Front 114

克

Back 114

overcome (104)

Hint 114

Many a TEENAGER has fallen under the shadow of the NEEDLE that would administer illegal drugs. Only when they are truly strong do they ever OVERCOME the NEEDLE's influence.

Front 115

小

Back 115

little (105)

Hint 115

here, little means "small" or "tiny" not "a little bit." the image is of three LITTLE DROPS.

Prim: keeps same meaning, but when written above a kanji the shape changes to that seen in 肖

Front 116

少

Back 116

few (106)

Hint 116

notice the looong drop at the bottom of this kanji; a single drop below a primitive will never be its normal size. And let us see that we now have 4 drops as compared to the 3 of LITTLE; so now we have a FEW of something LITTLE.

Front 117

大

Back 117

large (107)

Hint 117

here is a pictograph of a person taking up the space of an entire character, giving it the sense of LARGE.

PRIM: large dog/ St. Bernard dog

Front 118

多

Back 118

many (108)

Hint 118

"MANY MOONS ago" begins much of american folklore. Here we have 2 moons lacking the final stroke because they are partially hidden behind clouds.

Front 119

夕

Back 119

evening (109)

Hint 119

just as the word EVENING adds a touch of formality or romanticism to the ordinary word "night," so the kanji for EVENING takes the ordinary looking MOON in the sky and has a cloud pass over it (covering the second stroke that would be in it.)

Front 120

汐

Back 120

eventide (110)

Hint 120

DROPS OF WATER inching their way up the shore in the EVENING is the eventide.

Front 121

外

Back 121

outside (111)

Hint 121

as every magician knows, bringing your MAGIC WAND out in the EVENING air makes your magic much more powerful than if you were to stay indoors. Hence, EVENING and MAGIC WAND takes you naturally OUTSIDE.

Front 122

名

Back 122

name (112)

Hint 122

at EVENING time, a MOUTH pronounces the NAME that will accompany one throughout life.

Front 123

石

Back 123

stone (113)

Hint 123

Here we see a MOUTH in a CLIFF which can only indicate the entrance into a mountain cave, but beware this CLIFF is very steep. This is the only time the second stroke of "cliff" will reach over to the middle of the first.

Prim: can mean a stone or rock of any size or shape.

Front 124

肖

Back 124

resemblance (114)

Hint 124

The word RESEMBLANCE should suggest suggest, among other things, a son's RESEMBLANCE of his father. a "chip off the old block" is how we typically put it, but here we see it as speaking simply of a "LITTLE bit of FLESH."

Prim: spark; candle

Front 125

消

Back 125

nitrate (115)

Hint 125

the word NITRATE should immediately suggest a beaker of NITRIC acid, which can eat through some pretty tough substances. Here we imagine pouring it over a ROCK and watching the SPARKS fly as it bores a hole through the rock.

Front 126

砕

Back 126

smash (116)

Hint 126

BASEBALL and NEEDLE come together from time to time so let us give them together the meaning of a GAME OF CRICKET where the NEEDLE is laid across the wicket. then imagine using a ROCK for a ball. a SMASH hit would probably splinter the bat and a SMASHING pitch would probably do the same with the NEEDLE wicket.

Front 127

砂

Back 127

sand (117)

Hint 127

good SAND for beaches has FEW or no STONES in it.

Front 128

削

Back 128

plane (118)

Hint 128

long before the invention of the carpenter's PLANE people used knives (here SABERs) to smooth out their woodwork. Here we see the PLANE work in action as the SPARKS fly off the SABER.

Front 129

光

Back 129

ray (119)

Hint 129

imagine the little dust particles that dance on RAYS of light as LITTLE HUMAN LEGS drifting down on to your desk.

Front 130

太

Back 130

plump (120)

Hint 130

"PLUMP" is one of those english words that sounds like what it means. No sooner do you hear it do you imagine a LARGE DROP of oil plopping into a fishbowl. "Kerrr-PLUMP."

Front 131

器

Back 131

utensil (121)

Hint 131

this shows a large ST. BERNARD DOG stretched out on a table all stuffed and stewed with vegetables. at each corner sits a hungery MOUTH, just waiting for UTENSILS to arrive so the feast can begin.

Front 132

臭

Back 132

stinking (122)

Hint 132

ST. BERNARD with its NOSE in the air sniffing suspiciously after something STINKING somewhere.

Front 133

妙

Back 133

exquisite (123)

Hint 133

when we refer to a WOMAN as EXQUISITE, we mean to praise her as the sort of person we meet but FEW and far between.

Front 134

省

Back 134

focus (124)

Hint 134

the kanji suggests picking up a FEW things and holding them before one's EYE in order to focus on them better.

Front 135

厚

Back 135

thick (125)

Hint 135

this kanji depicts a CHILD abondonded out on the wild CLIFFS, exposed to the heat of the SUN, and thus doomed to develop a skin as THICK as the parent who left it there.

Front 136

奇

Back 136

strange (126)

Hint 136

lets create a "STRANGE but true" column featuring a ST. BERNARD whose MOUTH was NAILED shut because he was hitting the brandy keg around his neck too hard.

Front 137

川

Back 137

stream (127)

Hint 137

pictograph of a stream

Prim: stream, flood
appearance changes based on location in the kanji: when on the left 順; when above: 災；when on bottom: 侃

Front 138

州

Back 138

state (128)

Hint 138

here we see DROPS of land (little islets) rising up out of the STREAM creating individual STATES.

Front 139

順

Back 139

Obey (129)

Hint 139

either one OBEYS the person who is HEAD of an organization or else OBEYS by following the STREAM of opinion ("current" practice we call it).

Front 140

水

Back 140

water (130)

Hint 140

a WALKING STICK dropped vertically into the WATER sending out DROPLETS in four directions

Prim: means water still, but can change to look like 3 droplets on the left side of kanji as in: 海

Front 141

氷

Back 141

icicle (131)

Hint 141

here we see the splash from the WALKING STICK changed into an ICICLE. and if you hold an ICICLE up tothe light, you can see little crystallizations of 5 pointed stars inside it, as we see in this kanji.

Front 142

永

Back 142

eternity (132)

Hint 142

remember what William Blake said about seeing "infinity in a grain of sand and ETERNITY in an hour"? well here we see ETERNITY in a DROP of WATER."

Front 143

泉

Back 143

Spring (133)

Hint 143

imagine a fresh, bubbling SPRING of WATER, and you will probably notice how the top of the SPRING where it is bubbling is all WHITE. just like in this kanji.

Prim: the meaning, spring, will stay the same, but when used as a primitive the final 4 strokes (the element for water) are abbreviated to the three small drops we learned for litte. As seen in 原

Front 144

原

Back 144

meadow (134)

Hint 144

imagine a mountain MEADOW in the austrian alps and think of SPRINGS bubbling up across the MEADOW to form a sort of path that leads you to the brink of a precipitous CLIFF.

Front 145

願

Back 145

petition (135)

Hint 145

imagine a gigantic wizard-of-oz HEAD located in the middle of a flowery MEADOW where people kneel hopefully before it, PETITIONING for whatever it is they want.

Front 146

泳

Back 146

swim (136)

Hint 146

what could be a better image of ETERNAL bliss than an endless expanse of WATER to SWIM in without a care in the world?

Front 147

沼

Back 147

marsh (137)

Hint 147

why certain land becomes MARSHY is probably due to the fact that it felt thirsty, and so tried its best to SEDUCE the WATER over to its side.

Front 148

沖

Back 148

open sea (138)

Hint 148

key word OPEN SEA readily suggests being out in the MIDDLE OF a great body of WATER.

Front 149

江

Back 149

creek (139)

Hint 149

the CREEK is often no more than a dribble of WATER trickling down a small gully and the creation of such a small water way is a very simple WATER CRAFT.

Front 150

汁

Back 150

soup (140)

Hint 150

to make SOUP one begins with WATER and then starts adding things to it. Here we have a recipe for TEN ingredient SOUP.

Front 151

潮

Back 151

tide (141)

Hint 151

here we have the MORNING-TIDE, and you can easily see the WATER that rises in the MORNING.

Front 152

源

Back 152

Source (142)

Hint 152

SOURCE suggests a place WATER comes from; in this kanji, it is under the MEADOW, where we just saw it breaking the surface in those bubbly little springs.

Front 153

活

Back 153

lively (143)

Hint 153

when we speak of a LIVELY personality or a LIVELY party, we think of one with a lot of chatter. This kanji depicts the idea of LIVELY by having TONGUES babble and splash around, flinging WATER (spit) around.

Front 154

消

Back 154

extinguish (144)

Hint 154

among the many things water is useful for is EXTINGUISHING fires. In the best of all possible worlds, the most efficient way to EXTINGUISH a fire would be to see that each DROP OF WATER hits on SPARK of the conflagration.

Front 155

況

Back 155

but of course (145)

Hint 155

this key word is a connector used to link contrasting phrases and sentences together with much the same flavor as the english phrase BUT OF COURSE. just picture yourself ready to go on a first date as a TEENAGER, and having your mother grill you about hygeine asking "Did you shower?" "BUT OF COURSE..." you reply, annoyed. So WATER and TEENAGER combine to give us BUT OF COURSE.

Front 156

河

Back 156

River (146)

Hint 156

this character represents a step up from the STREAM we met in frame 127; its a full sized RIVER. The WATER tells us what we are dealing with and the CAN at the right tells us our "little engine that COULD" has become amphibious and is chugging down the mighty mississippi like a regular RIVERboat.

Front 157

泊

Back 157

overnight (147)

Hint 157

when you stop at an inn for an OVERNIGHT rest, all you expect is a bit of WATER for a wash and a set of clean WHITE sheets to wrap your weary bones in.

Front 158

湖

Back 158

lake (148)

Hint 158

Here is a legend about people being set adrift in the WATERS of a stormy LAKE because their FLESH had gotten too OLD to bear the burdens of life.

Front 159

測

Back 159

fathom (149)

Hint 159

connoting the measurement of the depth of WATER, the key word FATHOM begins with the WATER primitive. To its right, we see the compound-primitive for RULE in the sense of "measure" (frame 88); hence, when we RULE WATER we FATHOM it.

Front 160

土

Back 160

soil (150)

Hint 160

just memorize it. you'll use it so frequently you won't have the opportunity to forget it.

PRIM: the sense of SOIL is extended to that of GROUND, DIRT, and LAND.

Front 161

吐

Back 161

spit (151)

Hint 161

we have here a rather small MOUTH (it is always compressed when set on the left) next to a much larger piece of DIRT. It's not hard to imagine what one would do with a MOUTHful of DIRT, you would SPIT it out as fast as you could!

Front 162

圧

Back 162

Pressure (152)

Hint 162

One of the things that causes the erosion of SOIL is the excessive PRESSURE of the topSOIL on the lower SOIL. Here we see a CLIFF without a tree in sight, the slightest PRESSURE on which will cause a landslide.

Front 163

埼

Back 163

cape (153)

Hint 163

The CAPE pictured here is a jut of LAND like CAPE cod. The SOIL on the left and the STRANGE on the right tell us it is a CAPE where unusual things occur. Create a picture for yourself where you see this LAND being dubbed CAPE strange (or if you prefer, CAPE odd).

Front 164

垣

Back 164

hedge (154)

Hint 164

the HEDGE depicted here is the miraculous HEDGE of briar roses that completely SPANNED the caste GROUNDS in which sleeping beauty lay for a hundred years.

Front 165

圭

Back 165

squared jewel (155)

Hint 165

the kanji key word depicts a mammoth precious stone, several feet high, made by piling large heaps of SOIL on top of one another in the way jewels are created naturally. This kanji is chiefly used in personal names nowadays.

PRIM: ivy (that creepy vegetation that covers the surface of the GROUND to form a sort of "second" GROUND.

Front 166

封

Back 166

seal (156)

Hint 166

Imagine the key word SEAL referrs to a letter you have written and are preparting to close. Instead of using the traditional wax SEAL, you GLUE a sprig of IVY on the outside. In this way, IVY and GLUE give you a curious and memorable way to SEAL your secret letters.

Front 167

涯

Back 167

horizon (157)

Hint 167

after seeing a constant HORIZON of WATER, WATER everywhere for months at see, could there be anyting more delightful to the eye than to look astern and see the IVY-clad CLIFFS of land on a new HORIZON?

Front 168

寺

Back 168

Buddhist temple (158)

Hint 168

You have heard of people "attaching" themselves to a particular sect? Here is a literal interpretation where some fellow has walked into a BUDDHIST TEMPLE, finds a suitable patch of LAND, brushes the soles of his feet with GLUE, steps down firmly and so joins the BUDDHIST TEMPLE as a permanent member.

Front 169

時

Back 169

TIme (159)

Hint 169

"What is TIME?" asked St. Augustine. "Ask me not, and I know. Ask me, and I cannot tell you." Here we have the kanji's answer to the riddle: TIME is a SUN rising over a BUDDHIST TEMPLE.

Front 170

均

Back 170

level (160)

Hint 170

The LEVEL this key word refers to is not the carpenter's tool but rather the even surface of a thing. It pictures SOIL being scooped up in a LADLE and then made LEVEL. The excess DROPS OF SOIL are bushed off the top, which accounts for the added DROP at the LADLE'S edge.

Front 171

火

Back 171

Fire (161)

Hint 171

Just as sitting before a FIRE enlivens the imagination and lets you see almost anything you want to in the flames so too can you picture almost anything here, for example, an erupting volcano.

PRIM: FIREPLACE (or HEARTH), or a raging CONFLAGRATION. Another primitive element for FIRE based on this one is written below kanji, such as in 点 and means FLAMES, CAULDRON, COOKING FIRE, or an OVEN FIRE.

Front 172

炎

Back 172

inflammation (162)

Hint 172

a FIRE belongs in the HEARTH, not *over* it. When the FIRE spreads to the rest of the house, we have an INFLAMED house. And as with any INFLAMMATION - including those that attack our bodies - the danger is always that it might spread if not checked. This is the sense behind the duplication of the kanji for FIRE.

Front 173

煩

Back 173

anxiety (163)

Hint 173

The existential condition of ANXIETY that arises from the inevitable frustration of our worldly passions is seen in this character. The HEAD is set AFIRE, causing deep torment of the spirit (and a whopper headache).

Front 174

淡

Back 174

Thin (164)

Hint 174

Taking INFLAMMATION in its medical sense, the first WATER-related INFLAMMATION that pops into mind is dehydration, the principal symptom of which is that it makes one shrivel up and look very, very THIN. -- In summation, picture an INFLAMED section of skin upon which cool DROPS OF WATER has been placed, resulting in the INFLAMED skin unswelling and becoming quite THIN.

Front 175

灯

Back 175

Lamp (165)

Hint 175

Since it is very hard to read by the FIREPLACE without going blind from the flickering of the flames, our ancestors invented a way to NAIL down a bit of FIRE; voila! The LAMP.

Front 176

畑

Back 176

Farm (166)

Hint 176

Here we find the essential ingredients for a farm: a warm HEARTH to sit by at night, and a well-plowed FIELD to grow one's crops in by day.

Front 177

災

Back 177

Disaster (167)

Hint 177

Of all nature's DISASTERS, this kanji picks out two of the worst: FLOODS and FIRES. To recall the position of the elements, think of nature's solution to its own problem: a great FLOOD pouring down over a great forest FIRE.

Front 178

灰

Back 178

Ashes (168)

Hint 178

What do you do with that bucket of ASHES you have just cleaned from the FIREPLACE? You walk to the edge of a CLIFF and tip it upside dwn, watching as they are swept away in the wind like a swarm of mosquitos. Thus, FIRE, once it has turned to ASHES, ends up at the bottom of the CLIFF.

Front 179

点

Back 179

Spot (169)

Hint 179

If you look into the flickering of a FIRE for a long time and then turn aside, you will see SPOTS before your eyes. Imagine using these SPOTS as a method of FORTUNE TELLING. The old witch sits before her CAULDRON and watches the SPOTS that show up when she turns to look at you, and from that she TELLS YOUR FORTUNE.

Front 180

照

Back 180

Illuminate (170)

Hint 180

Althout the range of meanings that this kanji can have is about as rich as the English word, we need to focus on one of them: to make something SHINE. If you glaze a pot and put it in the OVEN to FIRE it, you in fact ILLUMINATE it. Hence the kanji for ILLUMINATE compares the kanji for SHINING with the primitive element for the OVEN'S FIRE.

Front 181

魚

Back 181

Fish (171)

Hint 181

A FISH is caught and BOUND UP on a line with its unfortunate school-mates' when the fisherman gets home, he cuts off the head and tosses it, with the entrails, out into the RICE FIELDS for fertilizer, and the rest he sets in a skillet over a COOKING FIRE for his supper.

Front 182

漁

Back 182

Fishing (172)

Hint 182

To the story we have made about FISH, this kanji for the profession of FISHING adds yet another element *before* the others: namely the WATER, where the fish was living happily before being caught, disemboweled and eaten.

Front 183

里

Back 183

Ri (173)

Hint 183

No english equivalent word. It's a Japanese word for measuring distances. One RI is about 2.5 miles. The kanji depicts how the measure came to be used. Atop we see the RICE FIELD, and below, the element for LAND. Those four sections in the RICE FIELD are actually measurements of LAND, much like how the farm-sections in the U.S. have given us the notion of a "country mile." The LAND devision based on the size of a RICE FIELD gives us the RI.

PRIM: Computer (a meaning derived from the kanji for "logic")

Front 184

黒

Back 184

Black (174)

Hint 184

Like most things electrical, a COMPUTER, too, can overheat. Just imagine FLAMES pouring out of it and charring the keyboard, the moniter, and your desk a sooty BLACK color.

Front 185

墨

Back 185

Black Ink (175)

Hint 185

Besides meaning BLACK INK, this kanji also appears in the word for an inked string that is pulled taut and snapped to mark a surface. Here it is used to mark of the DIRT with BLACK lines for a football game (played, I presume, on a white field).

Front 186

鯉

Back 186

Carp (176)

Hint 186

These are the same CARP you see in Japan's famous CARP streamers. Only here we find a small home COMPUTER or two strung on the line by a father anxious for his son to have the fortitude of a CARP swimming upstream and the efficiency of a COMPUTER. ugh.

Front 187

量

Back 187

Quantity (177)

Hint 187

Think of QUANTITY as having to do with measuring time and distance, and the rest is simple: you have a quantity of time in the new day that begins with NIGHTBREAK, and a quantity of distance in the rural RI.

Front 188

厘

Back 188

Rin (178)

Hint 188

One RIN is equal to about 1/1000 of a yen --- or it did when it made economic sense to mint them. It now carries the sense of something "very, very tiny." The story here is that apparently, the total market value of someone's home COMPUTER fell so drastically (to about one RIN), that he or she threw it over a CLIFF in a fit of rage.

Front 189

埋

Back 189

Bury (179)

Hint 189

We we speak of BURYING something, we usually mean putting them under GROUND. Only here, we are BURYING our beloved COMPUTER that has served us well for so many years.

Front 190

同

Back 190

Same (180)

Hint 190

Let us take the keyword to connotate the SAMENESS that characterizes the lift in community of the monk. They all have the SAME habits, including the "habit" they wear on their backs. Here we see the monk's COWL, drawn down over his eyesso that all you can see of him is his MOUTH. But since monks also speak their prayers in common, it is but a short step to think of ONE MOUTH under a HOOD as the kanji for the SAMENESS of monastic life.

PRIM: MONKS (dressed in a common habit).

Front 191

洞

Back 191

Den (181)

Hint 191

The keyword DEN refers to an animal lair hollowed out in the side of a mountain. So picture a DEN of wild beasts dressed up in habits and each living in the SAME way around a sacred "puddle" of WATER in the center of their DEN, the focus of their pious attentions.

Front 192

胴

Back 192

Trunk (182)

Hint 192

The word TRUNK refers to the PART OF THE BODY that is left when you have "TRUNCATED" all the limbs. The TRUNK is the PART OF THE BODY that is the SAME for all.

Front 193

Primitive

Back 193

Mist

Hint 193

a primitive composed of other primitives but not itself a kanji. MIST falls EARLY in the morning, like NEEDLES of rain, to assure that the SUNFLOWEr blooms EARLY as we have learned it should.

Front 194

向

Back 194

Yonder (183)

Hint 194

Something referred to as "over YONDER" is ususally far off in the distance and barely within sight -- like a wee DROP in the distance. In this kanji, we see a transparent HELMET through which we can see only a MOUTH under it, obviously an extraterrestrial. And what is it jabbering on about with it MOUTH open like that? Why, his spaceship way over YONDER with its empty fuel tank.

Front 195

尚

Back 195

Esteem (184)

Hint 195

We see the primitive for LITTLE attached to one of those GLASS CANOPIES you might use to display a family heirloom. The LITTLENESS is important, because what is on display is actually a shrunken, stuffed, and mounted MOUTH of an ESTEEMED ancestor.

Front 196

字

Back 196

Character (185)

Hint 196

Character as in any written CHARACTER from heiroglyphs to Sanskrit to our own roman alphabet. -- Just as a CHILD is born to a Japanese HOUSE is given CHARACTERS for its name, so it is stamped with the character of those who raise it from infancy on.

Front 197

守

Back 197

Guard (186)

Hint 197

Image of someone standing GUARD, sticking like GLUE to the HOUSE to protect it from unwanted prowlers.

Front 198

完

Back 198

Perfect (187)

Hint 198

We see a HOUSE that has been made PERFECTLY from its BEGINNINGS in the foundation to the roof up top.

Front 199

宣

Back 199

Proclaim (188)

Hint 199

Think of the key word in its religious sense of missionary preaching "PROCLAIMING the good news to all nations" and "shouting it from the HOUSETOPS."

Front 200

宵

Back 200

wee hours (189)

Hint 200

kanji refers to the late evening or early morning hours. It does this by picturing a HOUSE with a CANDLE in it. The reason is obvious, whoever is there is "burning the CANDLE at both ends" and working night after night into the WEE HOURS.

Front 201

安

Back 201

Relax (190)

Hint 201

To be told that the place for a WOMAN is in the HOUSE may be old minded, but here we clearly see a WOMAN RELAXING in her HOUSE with curlers in her hair.

Front 202

宴

Back 202

Banquet (191)

Hint 202

Here we note the entire DAY of work that is between a WOMAN and her HOUSE in preparing for a dinner BANQUET, pictorially "interupting" her RELAXATION.

Front 203

寄

Back 203

Draw Near (192)

Hint 203

Let the idea of DRAWING NEAR suggest somethin dangerous or eerie that one approaches with fear. Here we see a STRANGE HOUSE, perhaps the enchanted gingerbread HOUSE that lured Hansel and Gretal to DRAW NEAR.

Front 204

富

Back 204

Wealth (193)

Hint 204

Here we have the original charcter on which the primitive element for wealth is based. Note how all the WEALTH is kept under the roof of the same HOUSE.

Front 205

貯

Back 205

Savings (194)

Hint 205

To avoid confusing this kanji with the one for wealth, try to think of SAVINGS as actual money. The only difference is our currency is not paper but SHELLS. The NAIL under the roof of the HOUSE points to a hiding place in the rafters on which one strings up one's SHELLS for safekeeping.

Front 206

木

Back 206

Tree (195)

Hint 206

Prim: can be used to mean TREE or WOOD. In cases where the last two strokes are detached from the trunk as can be seen in 茶 , we change the meaning to POLE, or WOODEN POLE.

Front 207

林

Back 207

Grove (196)

Hint 207

A GROVE is a small cluster of TREES. Hence the simple duplication of the kanji for TREE gives us a grove.

Front 208

森

Back 208

Forest (197)

Hint 208

A FOREST is a large expanse of TREES, or "TREES, TREES everywhere," to adopt the expression we used for other kanji using triplication.

Front 209

桂

Back 209

Japanese Judas-tree (198)

Hint 209

We shall define this tree as a TREE with IVY growing down its branches in the shape of a hangman's rope.

Front 210

柏

Back 210

Oak (199)

Hint 210

This kanji brings to mind the famous myth of the "golden bough." Which was the sacred OAK in the forest of Diana which was "golden" due to its WHITE mistletoe berries shining yellow in the sun.

Front 211

枠

Back 211

Frame (200)

Hint 211

Think of the FRAME this character refers to as the sort of FRAME we use to enclose things. Picture the lines of a FRAME made of WOOD; and note how each time the line bends it forms 90 degrees, thus giving us the multiple of NINE and TEN.

Front 212

梢

Back 212

Treetops (201)

Hint 212

According to northern european myth, as days grow shorter in winter the fear grew that the sun would disappear altogether so people took to fixing CANDLES to the branches of evergreen TREES (because like things attract like things) to lure the sun back. Eventually developing into our Xmas tree.

Front 213

棚

Back 213

Shelf (202)

Hint 213

One of thinks of books as "good COMPANIONS," but here it is the SHELF we store them on that is the COMPANION.The reasons should be obvious: it is made of the same stuff, WOOD, and spends a lot more time with them than we do!

Front 214

杏

Back 214

Apricot (203)

Hint 214

Since APRICOTS can be eaten just as they fall from the TREES, picture this MOUTH agape at the bottom of a TREE waiting for APRICOTS to fall into it.

Front 215

桐

Back 215

Paulownia (204)

Hint 215

Since you probably don't know what a PAULOWNIA TREE is, we shall let the key word suggest the phrase "little brothers of St. Paulownia" and it is a short step to associate the TREE with the MONKS to its right.

Front 216

植

Back 216

Plant (205)

Hint 216

Imagine the art of bonsai and how people take those helpless saplings and twist them into crippled dwarves before they have a chance to grow up as they should. The more proper way to PLANT a young TREE and give it a fair shake in life is to grow it in such a way that it can grow up STRAIGHT.

Front 217

枯

Back 217

Wither (206)

Hint 217

what makes a TREE begin to WITHER up, and perhaps even die, is a kind of arteriosclerosis that keeps its sap from flowing freely--usually due to simple OLD age. Picture a wrinkled OLD TREE, WITHERING away in a retirement center.

Front 218

朴

Back 218

Crude (207)

Hint 218

As all magicians know, one makes one's WAND out of a hazel branch and is careful not to alter the natural form of the WOOD. For the magic of the WAND is derived from the powers hidden in nature and therefore must be kept in its CRUDE state.

Front 219

村

Back 219

Town (208)

Hint 219

The character for "village" was associated with "rice fields". That for TOWN, a step up on the scale of size, shows a circle of TREES GLUED TOGETHER to measure off the confines of a TOWN.

Front 220

相

Back 220

Inter- (209)

Hint 220

The prefex INTER- stirs up associations of cooperation among people. It calls to mind the scriptural proverb about first taking the TREE out of one's own EYE before helping your neighbor with the splinter in theirs.

Front 221

机

Back 221

Desk (210)

Hint 221

Here we see the wonderful rough WOOD that has been hewn into a DESK and the WIND that blows across it, sends your papers flying across the floor.

Front 222

本

Back 222

Book (211)

Hint 222

Recalling that BOOKS are made of paper, and paper made of TREEs, one might think of a BOOK as a slice of a TREE.

Front 223

札

Back 223

Tag (212)

Hint 223

The TAGS you see hanging on TREES in public places are helpful to ID what kind of TREES they are. Next time you see one, imagine the bit of wire that fixes the TAG to the branch as a large FISHHOOK.

Front 224

暦

Back 224

Calendar (213)

Hint 224

Imagine that in thosee little boxes of your CALENDAR you are marking off the DAYS that pass as you wait for a GROVE OF TREES to sprout out from beneath the soil of a CLIFF.

Front 225

案

Back 225

Plan (214)

Hint 225

Let the elements RELAX...TREE suggest a hammock strung between two TREES in your backyard, and you stretched out in it, hands folded behind your head, PLANNING something or other.

Front 226

燥

Back 226

Parch (215)

Hint 226

PARCHment, made from animal skins, was the most common form of writing material used unti lthe beginning of the 19th century. When paper took over, a method was devised to make artificial PARCHment from WOOD pulp. The FIRE at the left and in the "strong" position reminds us of the root of the word "PARCH," since nothing dries, puckers, wrinkles, and scorches quite like FIRE. --Put it all together: Take a sheet of paper (a WOOD-GOOD,), wet it, and hold it over a HEARTH in your mind's eye. Now watch as it PARCHES the paper, leaving it with a strange and bumpy surface resembling parchment.

Front 227

未

Back 227

not yet (216)

Hint 227

As the keyword suggests, the kanji means something not quite over and done with. More concretely, it shows us a TREE that is NOT YET fully grown. The extra short stroke in the upper branches shows new branches spreading out.

Front 228

末

Back 228

Extremity (217)

Hint 228

The character is best learned with that of "not yet." The first stroke shows a branch that is longer than the main branch indicating that the tree has reached the EXTREMITY of its growth, so that its branches stop spreading and start drooping downwards.

Front 229

沫

Back 229

Splash (218)

Hint 229

The SPLASH this kanji refers to is the dash of WATER against the rocks, with all the foam and spray that it creates. Think of a SPLASH in this sense as a wave that has run its full course and reached its EXTREMITY, namely the seashore.

Front 230

味

Back 230

Flavor (219)

Hint 230

When a tree has NOT YET finished growing, it produces fruit that is full of FLAVOR. When the official taster (the MOUTH to the left) determines that the full FLAVOR has been reached, the tree is pruned back so that it remains permanently NOT YET grown.

Front 231

妹

Back 231

Younger sister (220)

Hint 231

The YOUNGER SISTER in the family is the WOMAN in the family who, like the newest branch in the tree, is NOT YET old enough or mature enough to do everything the elder sister can do.

Front 232

朱

Back 232

Vermilion (221)

Hint 232

That red-orange color we call VERMILION is found in nature during the fall when the leaves lose their sugar and begin to change color. This kanji depicts the very last leaf on a tree in the fall (the DROP hung in the first stroke), the leaf that has NOT YET fallen as it one day must. Look at its color-- VERMILION.

Front 233

株

Back 233

Stocks (222)

Hint 233

The STOCKS bought and sold on the market by the tens of millions each day get their name from a comparison to a healthy TREE, in which one takes "STOCK" in the hopes that it will grow and produce more and more TREES liek itself. Usually, good

Front 234

Primitive:

厂

Back 234

Cliff (pg60)

Front 235

Primitive:

冂

Back 235

Hood (pg 87)

Hint 235

In addition to the basic meaning of HOOD, this shape can be used for a GLASS COVER, such as that used to serve "pheasant under glass." Note its difference from the element for "wind:" the second stroke is hooked inwards. Among the related images suggested by this primitive are: a monk's COWL, a riding HOOD, a HELMET, and an automobile HOOD.

Front 236

Primitive:

宀

Back 236

House (pg 89)

Hint 236

This extremely useful primitive element depicts the roof of a HOUSE. You can see the chimney at the top and the eaves on either side without much trouble.

Front 237

Primitive:

⺿

Back 237

Flower (pg 103)

Hint 237

NOTE: the font used for this kanji has it represented as two crosses (++), but in actuality, the radical is one straight horizontal line crossed with 2 vertical strokes. The horizontal line is not usually separate like this.

Front 238

若

Back 238

Young (223)

Hint 238

Imagine yourself in a magic garden where FLOWERS picked with the RIGHT hand grant eternal YOUTH; and those picked with the left, premature senility.

Front 239

草

Back 239

Grass (224)

Hint 239

Perhaps you know of the practice of seeding GRASS in some pattern with the FLOWER called the crocus. As the GRASS begins to turn green again after winter has passed, these tiny FLOWERS dot up here and there. Now, look at a patch of grass and think how nice it would've been to have your name spelled out in FLOWERS once as a sort of EARLY harbringer of spring.

Front 240

苦

Back 240

Suffering (225)

Hint 240

The picture of SUFFERING we are given here is that of a FLOWER that has grown OLD. When a flower ages, it pales and dries up, and probably even SUFFERS.

Front 241

寛

Back 241

Tolerant (226)

Hint 241

The HOUSE of FLOWERS or "hothouse" has become a metaphor for a narrow-minded, biased, and intolerant attitude distrustful of change. TOLERANCE, in contrast, is open-minded and welcomes novelty. The way to encourage TOLERANCE in those who lack it is first to have them SEE through their own HOTHOUSE attitudes.

Front 242

薄

Back 242

Dilute (227)

Hint 242

In this kanji, the "strong" element is actually the FLOWER and not the WATER. Taking the keyword to connote DILUTING the vital humors of the body, we can imagine our ACUPUNCTURIST performing his task with FLOWERS in place of needles, and using their hollow stems to pipe WATER into the body of the patient.

Front 243

葉

Back 243

Leaf (228)

Hint 243

It is the LEAF that feeds the FLOWER on a TREE. The element for GENERATION interposed between the two suggests that the movement of a TREE from one GENERATION to the next is like its "turning over a new LEAF."

Front 244

Primitive:

Back 244

Graveyard

Hint 244

The element shown here should be taken to represent a modern GRAVEYARD. Gone are the cobwebs and gnarled trees, the tiled headstones and dark, moonless nights that used to scare the wits out our childhood imaginations. Instead, we see brightly colored FLOWERS placed before the tombstones, the SUN shining gloriously overhead, and a cuddly ST. BERNARD sitting at the gate keeping watch.

Front 245

模

Back 245

Imitation (229)

Hint 245

Ah, but haven't modern GRAVEYARDS become a parody of their ancestors! The flowers are plastic, the tombstones all the same! This kanji continues with the modernization trend by picturing IMITATION TREES in the GRAVEYARD.

Front 246

漠

Back 246

Vague (230)

Hint 246

Think of the keyword as having to do with something viewed through a haze, or in twilight from a distance so that only its outlines are VAGUELY discernible. Now, as we stand in the GRAVEYARD, we here the creepy drip drops of WATER (the rain) falling on the tombstones on a spooky rainy night.

Front 247

墓

Back 247

Grave (231)

Hint 247

The mounds of SOIL with crude wooden crosses set at their head suggests those boot-hill GRAVES we all know from cowboy lore. The only odd thing about this kanji is that the SOIL comes under the GRAVEYARD, rather than to its left, where we might expect.

Front 248

暮

Back 248

Livelihood (232)

Hint 248

Imagine that you have chosen the occupation of the keeper of a GRAVEYARD and spend your DAYS tending to others' deadhood in order to make your LIVELIHOOD.

Front 249

膜

Back 249

Membrane (233)

Hint 249

The PART OF THE BODY first affected by a stroll through a haunted GRAVEYARD is the skin, which gets goosebumps. But we save the word "skin" for another kanji, and use the odd word "MEMBRANE" here. Think of being so scared the goose flesh moves from the outside in, giving you goose MEMBRANES.

Front 250

苗

Back 250

Seedling (234)

Hint 250

To avoid confusion with the image of rice seedlings to appear later, we shall take these SEEDLINGS out of their agricultural setting in the RICE FIELDS and into the frame of Brave New World surgery, where "ideas" or "values" are being implanted into BRAINS like SEEDLINGS to ensure harmonious society. Then go a bit further by imagining the SEEDLING taking root and breaking out into FLOWER right through the tops of the skull.

Front 251

兆

Back 251

Portent (235)

Hint 251

Pictograph of the back of a turtle. Think of turtle shells as a way to fortell the future, and in particular things that PORTEND coming evils.

PRIM: when this character is used in its full form it retains the meaning of PORTENT. When it appears to the left in half form (as in 状 ), we shall give it the sense of TURTLE.

Front 252

桃

Back 252

peach tree (236)

Hint 252

remember the story of the PEACH boy momtaro who's birth PORTENDED great misfortune. And therefore, the TREE that is associated with a PORTENT of coming evil comes to be the PEACH TREE.

Front 253

眺

Back 253

stare (237)

Hint 253

to give someone the "evil EYE" is to STARE at them, wishing them evil. In this kanji too, being stared at is depicted as an EYE that PORTENDS evil.

Front 254

犬

Back 254

Dog (238)

Hint 254

Here we see a DROP of a DOG, indicating that we have a normal-sized dog that is no more than a DROP in the kennel.

PRIM: A CHIHUAHUA; in the form found to the left (犭), we shall give it the meaning PACK OF WILD DOGS.

Front 255

状

Back 255

Status Quo (239)

Hint 255

Did you ever hear about the TURTLE who fell madly in love with a CHIHUAHUA but could not have her because their 2 families did not like the idea of intermarriage? Like many an ill-fated love, this kanji shows how the young upset the STATUS QUO with an emotion older than antiquated rules: blind love.

Front 256

黙

Back 256

Silence (240)

Hint 256

oddly enough, the character for SILENCE shows us a BLACK CHIHUAHUA. Actually, the cute critters name is Darkness, as I am sure you remember the famous song about SILENCE that begins "hello, DARKNESS, my old friend..."
NOTE how the four dots reach across the whole bottom of the character.

Front 257

然

Back 257

Sort of thing (241)

Hint 257

The key word in this frame refers to a suffix that gives the word before it an adjectival quality; hence we refer to it as "SORT OF THING." Reverting to a time when it was more commonly eaten, we see here a large cauldron boiling over an OVEN FLAME with the FLESH of a CHIHUAHUA being thrown into it to make it into a "hot-diggity-DOG" SORT OF THING.

Front 258

荻

Back 258

Reed (242)

Hint 258

You've no doubt seen cattails, those swamp REEDS with a furry FLOWER to them like the tail of a cat. This might be a way to get rid of a PACK OF WILD DOGS: lure them into a swamp with these REEDS with the cattail FLOWERS and then set it on FIRE.

Front 259

狩

Back 259

Hunt (243)

Hint 259

One of the worst problems you have to face when you go HUNTING is to GUARD your take from the WILD DOGS.

Front 260

猫

Back 260

Cat (244)

Hint 260

Knowing how much dogs love to chase CATS, picture a PACK OF WILD DOGS planting "CAT-SEEDLINGS," and caring for them until they can harvest a crop of CATS to chase and torment. remember: "Crop of Cats"

Front 261

牛

Back 261

Cow (245)

Hint 261

Why not see this kanji as a doodle for a COW that has been run over by a steamroller. The small dot in the first stroke shows the head turned to the side, and the next two strokes are the four legs.
PRIM: retains meaning of cow, but when placed over another element its shape becomes as is seen up top in ( 告) and when placed on the left it becomes (牜)

Front 262

特

Back 262

special (246)

Hint 262

Let special mean something in a SPECIAL class all its own, like COWS in India. Thought he practice is a HINDU one, the Buddha's refusal to take the life of any sentient creature makes it only fitting that the COWS should be placed on the sacred ground of a BUDDHIST TEMPLE.

Front 263

告

Back 263

Revelation (247)

Hint 263

Folklore throughout the world tells us of talking animals who show a wisdom far superior to that of human beings. This character depicts REVELATION through the MOUTH of a COW.

Front 264

先

Back 264

before (248)

Hint 264

Take this key word in the physical, not its temporal, sense (even though it refers to both). IF you have a COW with HUMAN LEGS, it can only be because you have 2 people in a COW suit. I always thought I'd rather be the person standing BEFORE, rather than the one that holds up the rear and become the "butt" of everyone's laughter.

Front 265

洗

Back 265

Wash (249)

Hint 265

Let us change the character from the Peanuts comic strip called "Pig-pen" who is always preceded by a little cloud of dust and grime, and rename him "WASH-out." Everywhere he walks, a spray of WATER goes BEFORE him to sanitize everything he touches.

Front 266

Primitive:

Back 266

Umbrella

Hint 266

We may think of it as a large and brightly-colored beach UMBRELLA. Notice that the two strokes touch here whereas for the kanji for "8" there would be a gaping leak at the top.

Front 267

介

Back 267

Jammed In (250)

Hint 267

The idea of something getting JAMMED INTO something else is depicted here by having a WALKING STICK get JAMMED INTO an UMBRELLA frame by someone shoving it into an already occupied slot in the umbrella stand by the door. The left vertical stroke is the curved umbrella handle, and on the right is the WALKING STICK.

Front 268

界

Back 268

World (251)

Hint 268

As the WORLD gets JAMMED with more people, there is less and less space. Imagine flying over a WORLD so densely populated that every bit of it is sectioned off like a gigantic checkerboard (the RICE FIELDs).

Front 269

茶

Back 269

Tea (252)

Hint 269

TEA is made from TEA leaves, but the TEA plant itself has its own FLOWERS which can add special flavor to the tea. With the image of a terrace of FLOWERING TEA bushes in mind, picture very l-o-n-g WOODEN POLES placed here and there in their midst, with a tiny UMBRELLA at the top to shade the delicate TEA FLOWERS.

Front 270

Primitive:

Back 270

Meeting

Hint 270

This compound primitive depicts a MEETING as a massive gathering of people under ONE UMBRELLA.

Front 271

合

Back 271

Fit (253)

Hint 271

The kanji for FIT reads literally, from top to bottom, as a MEETING of MOUTHS. Try to imagine what would happen to a poor couple who want to kiss, but whose MOUTHs don't FIT together.

Front 272

塔

Back 272

Pagoda (254)

Hint 272

Here we see a great PAGODA made of DIRT, with FLOWERS by the tens of thousands FITTED together for the roofing of each of the layers.

Front 273

王

Back 273

King (255)

Hint 273

Try to create a mental image from this of a king's scepter.

PRIM: can mean either KING or SCEPTER, but it will usually be taken to mean BALL

Front 274

玉

Back 274

Jewel (256)

Hint 274

Note the DROP here in the king's SCEPTER, which is exactly what you would expect it to be: a precious JEWEL handed down as a symbol of wealth and power.
PRIM: JEWEL or BALL; when it appears on the left, it maintains its form. On the left it will have no "drop" and look like the kanji for "king."

Front 275

宝

Back 275

treasure (257)

Hint 275

Every HOUSE has its TREASURE, as every thief knows only too well. While things we TREASURE may be only of sentimental value, we take the original sense of the term TREAURE here and refer to JEWELS kept in one's HOUSE.

Front 276

珠

Back 276

Pearl (258)

Hint 276

Think of the most enormous PEARL you have ever seen, a great VERMILION-colored BALL sitting on your ring.

Front 277

現

Back 277

Present (259)

Hint 277

Do not think of "gift" here, but of the PRESENT moment, as distinct from the future and past. This kanji depicts a crystal BALL that enables us to see things going on in the present in faraway places.

Front 278

狂

Back 278

lunatic (260)

Hint 278

A LUNATIC is literally one driven mad by the sight of the moon and possibly into a werewolf. Imagine one of these "LOONEYS" setting himself up as the KING of a PACK OF WILD DOGS that roam his city.

Front 279

皇

Back 279

Emperor (261)

Hint 279

here we see a WHITE BIRD perched above the KING, elevating him to IMPERIAL heights.

Front 280

呈

Back 280

Display (262)

Hint 280

Think of the "4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie," wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the KING." here we see the singing MOUTHS of the blackbirds as the pop out before the KING.

Front 281

全

Back 281

whole (263)

Hint 281

WHOLENESS suggests physical and spiritual health. The kanji image for WHOLENESS depicts being "KING under your own UMBRELLA."

Front 282

栓

Back 282

Plug (264)

Hint 282

Here we think of PLUG in the sense of cork or stopper used to seal something. imagine a TREE with a faucet in the side out of which tennis BALLS are flowing and you fight your way up to it to shove your giant beach UMBRELLA into the TREE to PLUG it up.

Front 283

理

Back 283

Logic (265)

Hint 283

The image of LOGIC here is that of a central JEWEL in a COMPUTER, like the JEWELS in old clocks that keep them running smoothly.

Front 284

主

Back 284

Lord (266)

Hint 284

"A man's home is his castle" goes the saying. Reminding us that every person is something like a "DROP" of a KING in his own environment.
PRIM: CANDLESTICK

Front 285

注

Back 285

Pour (267)

Hint 285

Picture POURING WATER from a lighted CANDLESTICK.

Front 286

柱

Back 286

Pillar (268)

Hint 286

The PILLAR referred to here is the WOODEN beam shaped like a CANDLESTICK that stands at the entrance to a traditional Japanese house.

Front 287

金

Back 287

Gold (269)

Hint 287

depiction of bars of GOLD bullion with an UMBRELLA overhead to shade them from the heat and hide them from would-be thieves. The bullion is made by melting down all the SCPETERS in the kingdom, DROP by DROP, and shaping them into bars.
PRIM: GOLD, but also any METAL at all.

Front 288

鉄

Back 288

Pig iron (270)

Hint 288

PIG IRON refers to iron in the crude form in which it emerges from the smelting furnaces. Of all the various forms METAL can take, this one shows us metal BEFORE it has been refined.

Front 289

鉢

Back 289

bowl (271)

Hint 289

Let BOWL suggest a large heavy GOLDEN BOWL in which you mash up BOOKS for some outrageous reason.

Front 290

銅

Back 290

Copper (272)

Hint 290

Picture an order of MONKS serving as chaplains for the police force. Their special habit, made of protective METAL, is distinguished by a row of COPPER buttons just like the "COPS" they serve.

Front 291

釣

Back 291

angling (273)

Hint 291

This kanji refers to the sport of fishing for pleasure. The odd thing is your ANGLING rod is a GOLDEN LADLE which you are using to scoop GOLDfish out of the river.

Front 292

針

Back 292

needle (274)

Hint 292

Since we already suspect that NEEDLES are made of METAL, let us picture a set of solid GOLD darning NEEDLES.

Front 293

銘

Back 293

Inscription (275)

Hint 293

Take INSCRIPTION in the sense of the NAME you give the jeweler to carve on a GOLD bracelet or inside a GOLD ring.

Front 294

鎮

Back 294

tranquilize (276)

Hint 294

The first lie-detector machines of the 20th century worked by wiring pieces of METAL to the body to measure the amount of sweat produced when questions were asked. This machine was used to detect when the TRUTH was too close for comfort, but nowadays people can take drugs that TRANQUILLIZE them in such a way as to make the device useless.

Front 295

Primitive:

辶

Back 295

Road (pg 130)

NOTE: the font gives an extra "dot" on top. This primitive is 3 strokes with only one stroke for the "dot," the second for the vertical squiggle, and the final stroke is the "road" part,

Hint 295

The ROAD envisioned here is a road for traffic, or a path or walkway.

Front 296

道

Back 296

Road-way (277)

Hint 296

The key word carries the sense of a ROAD for transit and a WAY or method of doing something. Think of a crowded ROAD-WAY where traffic has come to a standstill-what we commonly refer to as a bottleNECK.

Front 297

導

Back 297

guidance (278)

Hint 297

When we accept someone's GUIDANCE, we permit ourselves to be GLUED to a certain ROAD or WAY of doing something, and try to "stick" to it.

Front 298

辻

Back 298

crossing (279)

Hint 298

Here we see a pictograph of a CROSS, and set it on a ROAD to create a "CROSSING."

Front 299

迅

Back 299

Swift (280)

Hint 299

Here we see a CROSSING in the form of a barbed FISHHOOK, suggesting a SWIFTER alternate not only to the old roundabout but also to the "cloverleaf" design used on superhighways.

Front 300

造

Back 300

Create (281)

Hint 300

Think of CREATING as making something out of nothing. Then remember how the WAY of REVELATION laid out in the bible begins with the story of how god CREATED the world out of a dark and chaotic nothingness.

Front 301

迫

Back 301

Urge (282)

Hint 301

To URGE someone to do something, you make the WAY as appealing as possible, perhaps even WHITEwashing it a bit.

Front 302

逃

Back 302

Escape (283)

Hint 302

When ESCAPING from something or someone, one always feels as if one is not going fast enough, like a TURTLE on an expressWAY. (Since the TURTLE in on the ROAD and not to the left it retains its full shape.)

Front 303

辺

Back 303

Environ (283)

Hint 303

To keep the ENVIRONS clean and safe, you could cement DAGGERS in the ROAD, blades points upwards, so that no polluting traffic could pass by. You could, if you were an ecologically minded terrorist.

Front 304

巡

Back 304

Patrol (285)

Hint 304

A virtual DELUGE of motorcycle police washing down a ROAD is this kanji's image for PATROL.

Front 305

車

Back 305

Car (286)

Hint 305

See the front and back wheels and the seat in the carriage in the middle.

PRIM: CAR, CART, WAGON, and VEHICLE may all be used as primitive meanings.

Front 306

連

Back 306

Take along (287)

Hint 306

What you are meant to TAKE ALONG in this kanji are not things but people. The image of the CAR on the ROAD should ground your image for picking up your friends to TAKE them ALONG to wherever you are going.

Front 307

軌

Back 307

Rut (288)

Hint 307

Combine the primary and secondary meanings of this key word to form your story. Begin with the CAR whose tires get caught in a RUT and spin without going anywhere. Then go on to the BASEBALL team who can't win a game because it has fallen into a RUT of losing.

Front 308

輸

Back 308

Transport (289)

Hint 308

On the left we see a VEHICLE used for TRANSPORT. On the right, we see the primitive for MEETING up top and below, FLESH and SABER, which combine to create a compound element for a BUTCHER and his trade. Put them together in the image of a "trucker's convoy."

Front 309

前

Back 309

In Front (290)

Hint 309

Picture the BUTCHER hacking away with his knife at a slab of meat on his table with a pair of ram's HORNS placed IN FRONT of him (or on his head if you prefer).

Front 310

Primitive:

夂

Back 310

Walking legs (pg 134)

Hint 310

we call this element WALKING LEGS because it indicates "legs in motion"

Front 311

各

Back 311

Each (291)

Hint 311

"Suum cuique" goes the latin proverb. Here we see someone walking with his/her MOUTH between his/her WALKING LEGS, giving us an image of "to EACH his/her own."

Front 312

格

Back 312

Status (292)

Hint 312

If you can imagine TREES as a STATUS symbol (as they may well be in Japan's congested cities), then EACH might be aiming to have his/her own TREE, just to keep up with the Suzukis.

Front 313

略

Back 313

Abbreviation (293)

Hint 313

EACH FIELD has its own ABBREVIATIONS (chemistry, philosophy, sports, etc.) Needless to say, the stronger primitive goes to the left, even though the story says it the other way around.

Front 314

客

Back 314

Guest (294)

Hint 314

When you are a GUEST in a courteous town, EACH HOUSEhold has its own way of welcoming you, and EACH HOUSE becomes your home.

Front 315

額

Back 315

Forehead (295)

Hint 315

Out of respect, you do not look straight into the eyes of your GUEST, but look at the top button of their collar. Here, however, you are told to look above the eyes in your GUEST's HEAD to the FOREHEAD of your GUEST.

Front 316

夏

Back 316

Summer (296)

Hint 316

In the SUMMER, fatigued by the heat, your HEAD hangs down nearly as far as your WALKING LEGS, or rather, your "dragging legs." Note how WALKING LEGS (instead of animal legs) are all that distinguishes this kanji from that for "page."

Front 317

処

Back 317

Dispose (297)

Hint 317

Both the stretching out of the WALKING LEGS and the little bit of WIND tucked in on the right suggest using one's legs to kick something out of the way, or DISPOSE of it.

Front 318

条

Back 318

Twig (298)

Hint 318

Geppetto made WALKING LEGS for his little Pinocchio from two TWIGS of a TREE, giving him a set of "TWIGGY" shanks.

Front 319

落

Back 319

Fall (299)

Hint 319

When WATER FALLS, it splashes and splats; when FLOWER petals fall, they float gently in the breeze. To EACH thing its own way of FALLING.

Front 320

Primitive:

冖

Back 320

Crown (pg137)

Hint 320

Pictograph of a simple CROWN. It can be used for all the principal connotations of the word CROWN.

Front 321

冗

Back 321

Superfluous (300)

Hint 321

Picture a WEATHER VANE beneath a regal CROWN, spinning round and round. It is not only SUPERFLUOUS but makes a perfect ass out of the one who wears it.

Front 322

軍

Back 322

Army (301)

Hint 322

The CROWNED VEHICLE depicted here is a "chariot," symbol of an army.

Prim: CHARIOT

Front 323

輝

Back 323

Radiance (302)

Hint 323

Take advantage of the first syllable of the key word to think of the RAY of light to the left. Now add the glittering CHARIOT that is emitting those RAYS and you have RADIANCE.

Front 324

運

Back 324

Carry (303)

Hint 324

A long string of "sweet" CHARIOTS "swinging low" to our ROADS is a sure sign that the lord is "comin' for to CARRY" someone home.

Front 325

冠

Back 325

Crown (304)

Hint 325

By having the CROWN pass from one age to the next, a people keep itself GLUED to its BEGINNINGS.

Front 326

夢

Back 326

Dream (305)

Hint 326

To have a DREAM after going to bed is really the CROWN to a perfect EVENING. The FLOWER petals over the EYES (instead of the "sand" that westerners are used to finding when they awake) only confirms the image of a pleasant dream suggested by the rest of this kanji.

Front 327

Primitive:

亠

Back 327

Top hat (pg 139)

Hint 327

The broad rim and the tall top of the TOP HAT is pictured graphically here.

Front 328

Primitve:

亢

Back 328

Whirlwind (pg 139)

Hint 328

A formal high silk TOP HAT resting atop a WEATHER VANE represents a WHIRLWIND. Picture the vortex, or tornado-like spinning movement, of a WHIRLWIND.

Front 329

坑

Back 329

Pit (306)

Hint 329

A WHIRLWIND begins to dig its way into the SOIL like a drill until it makes a deep PIT.

Front 330

高

Back 330

Tall (307)

Hint 330

Here we see one Extraterrestial (the MOUTH under the glass HOOD), chatting with another extraterrestrial who has tried on an earthling's TOP HAT only to find it makes him look much, much TALLER than everyone else.

PRIM: keeps sense of TALL, but when written atop other primitives it is abbreviated to the top hat and mouth as in 亭。

Front 331

享

Back 331

Receive (308)

Hint 331

TALL CHILDREN RECEIVE more attention. TALL CHILDREN grow up to make better wide RECEIVERS. Take your pick.

Front 332

塾

Back 332

Cram School (309)

Hint 332

CRAM SCHOOLS are after-hours educational institutions where kids can do concentrated preparing for their coming entrance examinations. The exception are the TALL CHILDREN who are out on the school grounds practicing sports and the FAT ones who are out burning off calories. So this character shows who do *not* go to CRAM SCHOOLS, rather than those that do.

Front 333

熟

Back 333

Mellow (310)

Hint 333

The TALL and the FAT CHILDREN are here cast into a cauldron over and OPEN FLAM until they have sufficiently MELLOWED that they can return to the normal life of a student.

Front 334

亭

Back 334

Pavilion (311)

Hint 334

Think of all the PAVILIONS at some World Expo you attended and you will no doubt see rising up among them the towering TALL CROWNED NAIL (the CROWN being a revolving restaurant) --that architectural monstrosity that has become a symbol of science and technology at such events.

Front 335

京

Back 335

Capital (312)

Hint 335

Think of some TALL, domed CAPITAL building with swarms of LITTLE folk gatherd around its base, probably demonstrating for the government's attention.

Front 336

涼

Back 336

Refreshing (313)

Hint 336

Since few things are as REFRESHING on a warm day as a cool shower (the WATER), here we picture a CAPITAL building treating itself to one, and in full view of everyone.

Front 337

景

Back 337

Scenery (314)

Hint 337

SCENERY is depicted as a SUN rising over a CAPITAL, which is as close as some city dwelliers get to natural SCENERY for years at a time.

Front 338

鯨

Back 338

Whate (315)

Hint 338

The WHALE swallows a whole school of fish, who turn their new abode into a proper little FISH-CAPITAL.

Front 339

Primitive: (the 2 should be closer together)

土
口

Back 339

Lidded Crock (pg. 142)

Hint 339

SOIL over the MOUTH of the container gives us a piece of clay pottery with its lid. Behold, the LIDDED CROCK.

Front 340

舎

Back 340

Cottage (316)

Hint 340

A LIDDED CROCK with an UMBRELLA overhead gives us a mixture of the modern and nostalgic in the design for a cottage.

Front 341

周

Back 341

Circumference (317)

Hint 341

Look more closely at your LIDDED CROCK and you will see little ruler marks along its bottom edge. This is so you can use it to calculate the CIRCUMFERENCE of your MOTORCYCLE HELMET:just begin at a fixed point and turn the LIDDED CROCK around and around, keeping it flush against the side of the HELMET, until you come back to your starting point.
PRIM: LAP

Front 342

週

Back 342

Week (318)

Hint 342

Picture a circular ROAD with 7 markers on it, one for each day of the WEEK. When you have walked one complete LAP on the ROAD, you shall have completed one WEEK.

Front 343

士

Back 343

Gentleman (319)

Hint 343

The shape of this kanji, slightly differing from that for SOIL by virtue of its shorter final stroke, hints at the broad-shouldered, slender-waisted warrior standing at attention. When feudalism collapsed, these warrior's became Japan's GENTLEMENT.
PRIM: SAMURAI

Front 344

吉

Back 344

Good Luck (320)

Hint 344

Here we see a SAMURAI standing on a street with an open MOUTH, which people walk up to and look down deep inside of for GOOD LUCK.
PRIM: AEROSOL CAN (from the MOUTH and the very tightly fitting LID)

Front 345

壮

Back 345

Robust (321)

Hint 345

ROBUST is seen as a TURTLE turned SAMURAI.

(...ninja turtles anyone?)

Front 346

荘

Back 346

Villa (322)

Hint 346

The villa pictured here is filled with exotic FLOWERS at every turn and has a pair of TURTLE-SAMURAI standing before its gates

Front 347

売

Back 347

Sell (323)

Hint 347

A SAMURAI, out of a job, is going door-to-door SELLING little windup CROWNS with HUMAN LEGS that run around on the floor looking like headless monarchs.

Front 348

Primitive:

Back 348

Schoolhouse

Hint 348

Here we see a little red SCHOOLHOUSE with 3 dots on the roof. Note how the first two go "left to right" and the last stroke "right to left."

Front 349

学

Back 349

Study (324)

Hint 349

The CHILD in the little red SCHOOLHOUSE is there for one reason only: to STUDY. And as anyone who's gone to SCHOOL knows, to STUDY is one thing and learning is quite another, as we shall see with the kanji for "learn" elsewhere.

Front 350

覚

Back 350

Memorize (325)

Hint 350

The idea of MEMORIZING things is easily related to the SCHOOLHOUSE. And as we do with these kanji, we know that the idea of MEMORIZING involves SEEING things that are not really there to help us MEMORIZE.

Front 351

栄

Back 351

Fluorish (326)

Hint 351

The botanical connotations of the word FLUORISH (to bud and burst in to bloom much as a TREE does) are part of the ideal of a SCHOOLHOUSE as well.

Front 352

Primitive

丷

Back 352

Horns (pg 37)

Hint 352

This primitive element always appears on top of the element to which its related, and is always attached or almost attached, to the first horizontal line to come under it. The HORNS can never be left hanging in the air. When no horizontal stroke is available, one is added beneath the horns.

Front 353

Primitive:

Back 353

Brush (pg 145)

Hint 353

This primitive element, not itself a kanji, is a pictograph of a writing BRUSH.let the first 3 strokes represent the hairs of tip of the BRUSH, and the following 2 strokes the thumb and forefinger which guide it to write.Note that the vertical stroke which cuts through everything is written last. Also, when placed atop other elements, the tail is cut off so that the vertical stroke doesn't cut through the bottom horizontal stroke.

Front 354

書

Back 354

Write (327)

Hint 354

The sage talks rapidly with his TONGUE WAGGING IN HIS MOUTH, while the BRUSH of the scribe runs apace to WRITE down that master's words.

Front 355

津

Back 355

Haven (328)

Hint 355

seeing the tiny boats of poor mortals tossed about in a stormy sea like so many corks, the all-merciful took its BRUSH and drew little inlets of WATER where the hapless creatures might seek shelter. And so it is that we have HAVENS.

Front 356

Primitive:

攵

Back 356

Taskmaster (pg 146)

Hint 356

First find the long rod (the first stroke), held in the hand of someone seated (the next 3 strokes). the only thing left to do is conjure up the memory of some TASKMASTER from your childhood whom you will "never forget."

Front 357

牧

Back 357

Breed (329)

Hint 357

When it is time to BREED new cattle, the bull is usually willing but the COW is often not. Thus the TASKMASTER to the right forces the COW into a compromising position, so to speak, so that she and her mate can BREED.

Front 358

故

Back 358

Happenstance (333)

Hint 358

Call it fate or providence or plain old lady luck, HAPPENSTANCE is the OLDEST TASKMASTER we know. It nearly always has its way.

Front 359

敬

Back 359

Awe (334)

Hint 359

Standing in AWE of someone, you get self-conscious and may try to speak in FLOWERY PHRASES out of veneration or fear. The TASKMASTER at the right is drilling you in the practice of your "honorifics."

Front 360

攻

Back 360

Aggression (330)

Hint 360

The special CRAFT of successful TASKMASTERS is their ability to remain constantly on the AGGRESSIVE, never allowing their underlings a moment to ponder a counter-AGGRESSION of their own.

Front 361

言

Back 361

Say (335)

Hint 361

Of all the things we can do with our MOUTHS, speech is the one that requires the greatest distinctness and clarity. Hence the kanji for SAY has four little sound-waves, indicating the complexity of the achievement.

Prim: SAYING, SPEECH, WORDS

Front 362

敗

Back 362

Failure (331)

Hint 362

The TASKMASTER is acknowledging the FAILURE of a CLAM to make the grade in some marine school or another.

Front 363

警

Back 363

Admonish (336)

Hint 363

The idea of being ADMONISHED for something already sets up a superior-inferior relationship between you and who you stand in AWE of. While you are restricted to using honorifics, the superior can use straightforward and ordinary WORDS.

Front 364

枚

Back 364

A sheet of (332)

Hint 364

English counts thin, flat objects, like bed linens and paper, in SHEETS. The kanji does this with a TASKMASTER whipping a TREE into producing SHEETS against its will.

Front 365

計

Back 365

Plot (337)

Hint 365

WORDS and a meter's NEEDLE combine to form the sense of PLOT; to talk over plans and to calculate a course of action.

Front 366

獄

Back 366

Prison (338)

Hint 366

The prison here depicts a PACK OF WILD DOGS into which the poor little CHIHUAHUA has been cast. The only thing he has to protect himself against the pack are his shrill and frightened WORDS.

Front 367

訂

Back 367

Revise (339)

Hint 367

After completing the first draft, you REVISE it by NAILING down your WORDS and "hammering" them into shape.

Front 368

討

Back 368

Chasitise (340)

Hint 368

WORDS spoken to CHASTISE us stick like GLUE in a way no other WORDS can.

Front 369

訓

Back 369

Instruction (341)

Hint 369

The personalism connoted by the word INSTRUCTION, as opposed to "teaching" or "discipline" suits the picture here of WORDS guiding one's progress like the gentle flowing STREAM.

Front 370

詔

Back 370

Imperial Edict (342)

Hint 370

The IMPERIAL EDICT, spoken with the force of unquestionable law, is made up of WORDS intended to SEDUCE the masses- be it through fear or respect - to follow obediently.

Front 371

詰

Back 371

Packed (343)

Hint 371

A piece of writing that is pregnant with meaning and needs to reread several times to be understood we refer to colloquially as "PACKED." The character sees the WORDS as sealed tightly inside an AEROSOL CAN.

Front 372

話

Back 372

Tale (344)

Hint 372

That the WORDS of the TONGUE should come to mean a TALE is clear from the etymology: a TALE is something "talked," not something read from a book.

Front 373

詠

Back 373

Recitation (345)

Hint 373

Listening to the WORDS of poets RECITING their poetry is like being transported into ETERNITY where the rules of everyday life have been suspended.

Front 374

詩

Back 374

Poem (346)

Hint 374

Since silence is treasured so much at a BUDDHIST TEMPLE the WORDS spoken there must be well-chosen. perhaps this is why the records of monks often read to us like POEMS.

Front 375

語

Back 375

Word (347)

Hint 375

Whereas the character for SAY focused on the actual talking, that for WORDS stresses the fact that although it is I who SAY them, the WORDS of a language are not my own. You can see the clear distinction between I and WORDS just by looking at this kanji.

Front 376

読

Back 376

Read (348)

Hint 376

in the age of advertising, most WORDS we READ are out to SELL some product or point of view.

Front 377

調

Back 377

tune (349)

Hint 377

A complete TUNE is composed not only of a succession of notes but also of one LAP of the WORDS that go with it.

Front 378

談

Back 378

Discuss (350)

Hint 378

In almost every attempt to DISCUSS an issue, the fervor of one's convictions comes to the surface and creates and INFLAMMATION of WORDS (if you will, the "cuss" in DISCUSS.

Front 379

諾

Back 379

Consent (351)

Hint 379

The WORDS of the YOUNG have no legal validity unless backed up by "parental CONSENT."

Front 380

諭

Back 380

Rebuke (352)

Hint 380

The stern tone of a REBUKE is seen here in the image of WORDS spoken at a MEETING of BUTCHERS waving their choppers at one another and "cutting one another down" as only BUTCHERS can.

Front 381

Primitive:

弋

Back 381

Arrow (pg 153)

Hint 381

Here we see a pictograph of a long and slightly warped ARROW. The hook at the bottom represents the feathers at the butt end. When it serves as an enclosure for other primitives, the first stroke is drawn longer.

Front 382

式

Back 382

Style (353)

Hint 382

Take STYLE in its sense of some fashion design or model. Then let the element ARROW and CRAFT stand for the well-known STYLE of shirts known as "ARROW shirts" because of the little ARROW sewn on each one.

Front 383

試

Back 383

Test (354)

Hint 383

When a manufacturer produces a new STYLE for the market, the first thing that is done is to run a TEST on consumers, asking them to SPEAK their opinions frankly about the product.

Front 384

Primitive:

Back 384

Quiver (pg 154)

Hint 384

This primitive is easy to remember as depicting something used to bring all of one's ARROWS together into ONE handy place: a QUIVER.

Front 385

弐

Back 385

II (Two)

Hint 385

We use the roman numeral II here to stress that this kanji is an older form of the kanji for TWO. Think of TWO arrows in a QUIVER, standing up like the numeral II.

Front 386

Primitive:

戈

Back 386

Fiesta (pg 154)

Hint 386

THe picture in this primitive is what we may call a "tassled ARROW." a decorative tassle is strung on the shaft of an ARROW to indicate that it is no longer a weapon but a symbol of a FIESTA. As before, the first stroke is extended when it serves as an enclosure.

Front 387

域

Back 387

Range (356)

Hint 387

From its original meaning of a defined area or zone, a RANGE has also come to mean a grazing LAND where cowboys roam and do whatever it is they do with cows. When the herds have all been driven to market, there is a great homecoming FIESTA where, as soon as the cowboys return, the first thing they do is kiss the ground (MOUTH to FLOOR), and get on with the FIESTA.

Front 388

賊

Back 388

Burglar (357)

Hint 388

From a BURGLAR's point of view, a FIESTA is an occassion to take ou the old lockpicking NEEDLE and break into the unattended safe filled with the family SHELLS.

Front 389

Primitive:

Back 389

Thanksgiving (pg 155)

Hint 389

I choose the word THANKSGIVING as only one possible way of making this primitive more concrete. The sense, as its composite primitives make clear, is of a "LAND FIESTA," or a harvest feast.

Front 390

栽

Back 390

Plantation (358)

Hint 390

On a fruitful PLANTATION it is the TREES that one is particularly grateful for at the time of THANKSGIVING.

Front 391

載

Back 391

Load (359)

Hint 391

One LOADS bales on a wagon or CART in preparation for the great hay ride that follows THANKSGIVING dinner each year.

Front 392

Primitive:

Back 392

Parade (pg 156)

Hint 392

Note first the order of the writing. The first stroke, added to FIESTA, gives us a full-fledged enclosure, because of which we should always think of this as a PARADE of something or other, namely whatever is inside the enclosure.

Front 393

茂

Back 393

Overgrown (360)

Hint 393

The sense of the key word OVERGROWN is of something growing luxuriously, though not necessarily in excess - in this case a whole PARADE of weeds (outcast FLOWERS). By way of exception, the FLOWERS take their normal place *over* the enclosure.

Front 394

成

Back 394

Turn into (361)

Hint 394

Let the phrase "turn into" suggest some sort of magical change. What happens here is that a PARADE marching down main street TURNS INTO a DAGGER-throwing bout between competing bands.

Front 395

城

Back 395

Castle (362)

Hint 395

We see a mound of DIRT that is being TURNED INTO a CASTLE, much like you do when at the beach.

Front 396

Primitive:

Back 396

March (pg 157)

Hint 396

As distinct from PARADE, the MARCH points to a formal demonstration, whose emotions are generally a far cry from the happy spirit of a PARADE. The inlusion of the ONE gives the sense of a singlemindedness and unity of the group joined in the MARCH. As with PARADE, the primitive inside the enclosure indicates who or what is MARCHING.

Front 397

誠

Back 397

Sincerity (363)

Hint 397

The sure sign of SINCERITY is that one's mere WORDS are TURNED INTO deeds.

Front 398

威

Back 398

Intimidate (364)

Hint 398

Here we see a MARCH of WOMEN demonstrating on behalf of equal rights, something extrememly INTIMIDATING to the male chauvanist population.

Front 399

滅

Back 399

Desroy (365)

Hint 399

Picture a MARCH of FLAMES demonstrating against the Fire Department for their right to DESTROY, but being doused with WATER by the police riot squads.

Front 400

Primitive:

Back 400

Float (pg 158)

Hint 400

The FLOATS that are such an important part of a FIESTA are shown here by the addition of the two extra horizontal strokes, which you may take as a quasi-pictographic representation of the platform structure of a FLOAT.

Front 401

減る

Back 401

Dwindle (366)

Hint 401

A group of unquenchable MOUTHS sets out on a MARCH across the country, drinking WATER wherever they find it until the WATER supply has DWINDLED to a trickle, triggering a national disaster.

Front 402

桟

Back 402

Scaffold (367)

Hint 402

Prior to the use of metal, TREES were once cut down and bound together for use as SCAFFOLDING material. In the case of this kanji, what is being constructed is not a scyscraper but a simple FLOAT.

Front 403

銭

Back 403

Coin (368)

Hint 403

Those special GOLD-colored tokens minted each year for Mardi Gras and thrown into the crowds from people on the FLOATS give us the kanji for COINS.

Front 404

浅

Back 404

Shallow (369)

Hint 404

An entourage of FLOATS going from one town to the next must always seek a SHALLOW place to cross the WATER.

Front 405

止

Back 405

Stop (370)

Hint 405

The character for STOP is easiest to learn as a pictograph of a footprint.
Prim: STOP is retained; FOOTPRINT

Front 406

歩く

Back 406

walk (371)

Hint 406

FOOTPRINTS that follow one another a FEW at a time indicate WALKING

Front 407

渉

Back 407

Ford (372)

Hint 407

To FORD a body of WATER means to WALK across it.

Front 408

頻

Back 408

Repeatedly (373)

Hint 408

The image of something occurring REPEATEDLY, over and over again, is of having one's HEAD WALKED ON.

Front 409

肯

Back 409

Agreement (374)

Hint 409

Seeing FOOTPRINTS on someone's FLESH indicates a rather brutal way of having secured that persons AGREEMENT.

Front 410

企

Back 410

Undertake (375)

Hint 410

To UNDERTAKE a project is to take some idea floating in the air and STOP it so that it can be brought down to earth and become a reality. Here we see some UNDERTAKING made to STOP under a beach UMBRELLA.

Front 411

歴

Back 411

Curriculum (376)

Hint 411

CURRICULUM in the sense of a record of one's life or academic achievements. Instead of the GROVE OF TREES growing up and out of the CLIFF, we see here that the growth has STOPPED, much the same as a CURRICULUM vitae calls a halt to the calendar and talks only about the past.

Front 412

武

Back 412

Warrior (377)

Hint 412

With a QUIVER of ARROWS set on one's back, the goal of the WARRIOR depicted here is not to attack but merely to STOP attacks of others: the oldest excuse in history.

Front 413

賦

Back 413

Levy (378)

Hint 413

A certain portion of SHELLS (money) is collected by the WARRIOR from the local villages as he passes through to defray the costs of keeping the land safe, and this is called a LEVY.

Front 414

正

Back 414

Correct (379)

Hint 414

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," says the chinese proverb. Here we see ONE FOOTPRINT, complementing that proverb with the sound advice that if the first step is not made CORRECTLY, the whole point of the journey will be forfeited. This is the ideal that teachers are supposed to have in CORRECTING their students and parents in CORRECTING their children.

Front 415

証

Back 415

evidence (380)

Hint 415

WORDS that testify to the CORRECTNESS of some fact are calssified as EVIDENCE.

Front 416

政

Back 416

politics (381)

Hint 416

To many definitions for POLITICS already exist, but this character offers yet another; CORRECT TASKMASTERING. On one hand, we see the pessimistic wisdom that POLITICS has to do with TASKMASTERING, and on the other we see the campaign assurances that this duty can be performed CORRECTLY if only the right candidate is given a chance.

Front 417

Primitive:

Back 417

Mending (pg 162)

Hint 417

This primitive differs from the kanji for CORRECT only by the movement added to the last two strokes, the "-ing" of MENDING if you will.

Front 418

定

Back 418

Determine (382)

Hint 418

DETERMINATION, in the sense of settling on a certain course of action, is likened here to MENDING one's HOUSE.

Front 419

錠

Back 419

Lock (383)

Hint 419

METAL of itself doesn't LOCK. It needs to be so DETERMINED by a LOCKsmith.

Front 420

走

Back 420

Run (384)

Hint 420

RUNNING, we are told here, MENDS the SOIL. Observe in the following frames how this kanji can embrace other elements from below, much the same way as the element for ROAD does; and how, in order to do this, the final stroke needs to be lengthened.

Front 421

超

Back 421

Transcend (385)

Hint 421

When one is RUNNING after something, the goal that SEDUCES one is said to TRANSCEND the seeker.

Front 422

赴く

Back 422

Proceed (386)

Hint 422

In PROCEEDING to a new city or new job, something in you RUNS ahead with exitement, and something else holds you back, like a DIVINING ROD built into your psyche warning you to check things out carefully before rushing in too wildly.

Front 423

越

Back 423

Surpass (387)

Hint 423

Here we see two PARADES in competition, each trying to SURPASS the other by RUNNING at high speed from one town to the next. Note: the little "hook" at the end of the 1st stroke of the element for PARADE. This is the only time it appears like that in the kanji covered in this book.

Front 424

是

Back 424

Just so (388)

Hint 424

In this kanji we are shown someone spending an entire DAY at MENDING one stocking, because they want the job done "JUST SO."

Front 425

題

Back 425

Topic (389)

Hint 425

In many kinds of research, one can find information on a given TOPIC only if the HEADINGS are prepared JUST SO.

Front 426

堤

Back 426

Dike (390)

Hint 426

A DIKE is a successful bit of engineering only if the amount of EARTH piled up is measured JUST SO for the height and pressure of the water it is meant to contain.

Front 427

Primitive:

廴

Back 427

Stretch (pg. 165)

Hint 427

The primitive meaning to STRETCH might at first seem similar to that for ROAD. Take a moment to study it more carefully and you'll see the diffrences, but like ROAD this primitive holds others above its sweeping final stroke.

Front 428

建

Back 428

Build (391)

Hint 428

to construct a BUILDING, you first draw a set of plans (the writing BRUSH) and then S-T-R-E-T-C-H your drawing ou to scale in reality.

Front 429

延

Back 429

Prolong (392)

Hint 429

This character is kind of pictographic of how PROLONGING is a clever way of STOPPING things by trying to STRETCH them out a little bit at a time (the extra DROP at the top of STOP). Be sure to get a concrete image of this process, by imagining yourself PROLONGING something you can really, physically, STRETCH.

Front 430

誕

Back 430

Nativity (393)

Hint 430

The key word of course calls to mind the feat of Xmas. As the famous poem at the start of St. Johns tells us, the NATIVITY we celebrate had its origins at the very start of time and governs all of human history; it represents the PROLONGATION of the eternal WORD in time and space.

Front 431

Primitive:

疋

Back 431

Zoo (pg 166)

Hint 431

Rather than use this for animals in general, we will refer to it as a ZOO, to avoid confusion with other animals that will be showing up. Except for the downward hook at the end of the first stroke, this element is indistinguishable from MENDING

Front 432

礎

Back 432

conerstone (394)

Hint 432

This character depicts a CORNERSTONE as a STONE set at the end of a wildlife preserve (the ZOO in the GROVE)

Front 433

壻

Back 433

Bridegroom (395)

Hint 433

What makes a man a BRIDEGROOM is obviously a WOMAN and her dowry, here presented as a small ZOO (animals were often used for this purpose in earlier societies) and a MONTH away from it all (the honeyMOON).

Front 434

衣

Back 434

Garment (396)

Hint 434

At the top we see the TOP HAT, and at the bottom a pictographic representation of the folds of a GARMENT.
Primitive: additional meanings CLOAK, SCARF. When it appears on the left it looks like 衤, when at the bottom the top two strokes (top hat) are omitted and shall mean SCARF. Rarely, the element can be torn right across the middle with the first 2 strokes on top and last 4 below another primitive, which we will call TOP HAT and SCARF. Note that when any of the above forms have something beneath them, the third from final stroke is "unhooked" as is seen in 遠

Front 435

裁

Back 435

Tailor (397)

Hint 435

You might think here of GARMENTS that have been specifically TAILORED for THANKSGIVING celebrations to look like traditional pilgrim garb.

Front 436

装

Back 436

Attire (398)

Hint 436

The character for ATTIRE can be remembered as a picture of what we may call a "TURTLE-SAMURAI" sweater. At the top we see the TURTLE-SAMURAI and at the bottom the element for GARMENT.

Front 437

裏

Back 437

Back (399)

Hint 437

An innocent looking TOP HAT and SCARF lying there in front of you, turned over, reveal a hidden COMPUTER sewn into the BACK of each ---obviously the tools of a master spy. Such experiences teach one always to have a look at the BACK side of things.

Front 438

壊

Back 438

Demolition (400)

Hint 438

The right half of this character shows a GARMENT woven so fine that it can pass through the EYE of a NEEDLE, fittingly draped around the slithering, ethereal form of a poltergeist. In this frame, our eerie visitor brushes its robes against a nearby block of apartments and completely DEMOLISHES them, razing them to the GROUND.

Front 439

哀

Back 439

Pathetic (401)

Hint 439

A drunken sod in a tattered TOP HAT and soild silk SCARF with a giant MOUTH guzzling something or other gives us a PATHETIC character role in which W.C. Fields might find himself right at home.

Front 440

遠

Back 440

Distant (402)

Hint 440

A DISTANT figure on the ROAD is such a blur that it looks like a LIDDED CROCK wearing a silk SCARF.

Front 441

猿

Back 441

Monkey (403)

Hint 441

This clever little MONKEY has captured an entire pack of WILD DOGS, locked them inside a LIDDED CROCK, and wrapped the whole thing up in a silk SCARF to present to the dog catcher.

Front 442

初

Back 442

First time (404)

Hint 442

The primitives here take care of themselves: CLOAK and DAGGER. What I leave to you is to decide on an appropriate connotation for "FIRST TIME" to take advantage of them.

Front 443

Primitive:

巾

Back 443

Towel (pg 169)

Hint 443

The basic meaning of this primiti ev is a bolt of cloth, from which we derive the meaning of a TOWEL.

Front 444

布

Back 444

Linen (405)

Hint 444

THe maid, TOWELS BY HER SIDE, distributes the LINEN.

Front 445

帆

Back 445

Sail (406)

Hint 445

A SAIL made of a TOWEL makes a MEDIOCRE vessel.

Front 446

幅

Back 446

Hanging scroll (407)

Hint 446

A TOWEL owned by the WEALTHIEST tycoon in the world is made into a HANGING SCROLL after his death and auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Front 447

帽

Back 447

Cap (408)

Hint 447

Because of the RISK involved (of getting the SUN in one's EYES), one puts together a makeshift CAP out of a dirty old TOWEL.

Front 448

幕

Back 448

Curtain (409)

Hint 448

A dirty TOWEL draped over the entrance to the old GRAVEYARD is painted to look like the CURTAIN of death that leads to the other world.

Front 449

幌

Back 449

Canopy (410)

Hint 449

A large TOWEL stretched overhead with only a few of the SUN'S RAYS breaking through represents a CANOPY over one's bed.

Front 450

錦

Back 450

brocade (411)

Hint 450

A strip of WHITE TOWEL and some scraps of METAL have the makings of a primitive kind of BROCADE.

Front 451

市

Back 451

market (412)

Hint 451

Dressed in nothing but a bath TOWEL and a TOP HAT, one sets off to the MARKETplace in search of a bargain or two.

Front 452

姉

Back 452

elder sister (413)

Hint 452

Of all the WOMEN of the family, it is the ELDER SISTER who has the duty to go to the MARKET to do the shopping.

Front 453

肺

Back 453

Lungs (414)

Hint 453

One is surprised, strolling through the MARKET, to find among the MEATS hung out for sale a slab marked: LUNGS.

Front 454

Primitive:

Back 454

Apron (pg. 171)

Hint 454

The TOWEL with edges jagged like little CROWNS is the cook's APRON.

Front 455

帯

Back 455

sash (415)

Hint 455

The part of the APRON where one finds the buckle (represented pictorially by the first 5 strokes) is on the SASH.

Front 456

滞

Back 456

stagnate (416)

Hint 456

People that have been "SASHED" to something (whether their mother's APRON strings or a particular job) for too long become like WATER that has stopped moving: they start to STAGNATE.

Front 457

Primitive:

冂

Back 457

Belt (pg 172)

Hint 457

This primitive, clearly derived from that for TOWEL, is always hung on another vertical stroke, and takes the meaning of a BELT.

Front 458

刺

Back 458

thorn (417)

Hint 458

THORNS grow on a bush here that has wrapped itself around a TREE like a BELT, cutting into the poor TREE like little SABERS.

Front 459

制

Back 459

System (418)

Hint 459

This kanji shows a unique SYSTEM for leading COWS to the slaughterer's SABER. One ties a BELT about their waist and fixes that BELT to an overhead cable, pulling the COW up into the air where it hangs suspended, helpless against its fate.

Front 460

Primitive:

Back 460

Rising Cloud (pg. 173)

Hint 460

This primitive is meant to depict in graphic fashion a CLOUD of something or other RISING upwards, like vapor or smoke or dust.

Front 461

製

Back 461

Made in...(419)

Hint 461

A label indicating that a GARMENT was MADE IN USA or JAPAN is itself a symbol for the SYSTEMATIZATION of the GARMENT industry.

Front 462

転

Back 462

Revolve (420)

Hint 462

As the wheels of the CAR REVOLVE, they kick up small RISING CLOUDS of dust and debris behind them.

Front 463

芸

Back 463

Technique (421)

Hint 463

The secret TECHNIQUE of making a RISING CLOUD of smoke turn into a bouquet of FLOWERS is shown here.

Front 464

雨

Back 464

Rain (422)

Hint 464

This kanji, also a primitive, is an obvious pictograph. The top line is the sky, the next 3 strokes a pair of clouds, and the final 4 dots the RAIN collected there waiting to fall.
Prim: WEATHER, RAIN

Front 465

雲

Back 465

Cloud (423)

Hint 465

Here is the full character for CLOUD from which the primitive for RISING CLOUD derives. CLOUDS begin with vapors RISING up in small CLOUDS from the surface of the earth, and then gathering to make CLOUDS that eventually dump their RAIN back on the earth.

Front 466

曇

Back 466

Cloudy weather (424)

Hint 466

We refer to days when the SUN is covered by the CLOUDS as CLOUDY WEATHER.

Front 467

雷

Back 467

thunder (425)

Hint 467

The full rumble and roar and terror of THUNDERous WEATHER is best felt when out in an open RICE FIELD, rather than while hiding safe inside.

Front 468

霜

Back 468

Frost (426)

Hint 468

Think of FROST as a cooperation venture, an INTER-action of the malevolent forces of WEATHER that sit around a conference table and finally decide to allow a very light amount of moisture to fall just before a short and sudden freeze.

Front 469

Primitive:

冫

Back 469

Ice (pg175)

Hint 469

The condensation of the 3 drops we use for WATER into 2 drops signals the solidifying of WATER into ICE. When written to the left it appears as shown on the card, when written below other primitives it appears as the bottom 2 strokes in 冬

Front 470

冬

Back 470

Winter (427)

Hint 470

WALKING LEGS slipping on the ICE are a sure sign of WINTER.

Front 471

天

Back 471

Heavens (428)

Hint 471

This character is meant to be a pictograph of a great man, siad to represent the lord of the HEAVENS. you are welcome to use the elements CEILLING and St. BERNARD instead.
Primitive: HEAVEN (in the religious sense), or HEAVENS (as general term for sky) When used as a primitive, the first stroke is written right to left similar to 千

Front 472

橋

Back 472

angel (429)

Hint 472

The sense of the primitive, ANGEL, derives from the primitive for HEAVENS replacing the TOP HAT in the character for TALL.

Front 473

橋

Back 473

Bridge (430)

Hint 473

The BRIDGE shown here is made of TREES in their natural form, except that the trunks have been carved into the forms of ANGELS, a sort of "Ponte degli Angeli."

Front 474

嬌

Back 474

Attractive (430)

Hint 474

Associating a particularly ATTRACTIVE WOMAN you kjnow with an ANGEL should be no problem.

Front 475

立

Back 475

Stand Up (431)

Hint 475

This picture of a vase STANDING UP has its meaning extended to represent the general posture of anything STANDING UP.

prim: VASE. In taking its kanji meaning, it's best to think of something STANDING UP that is normally laying down, or something standing up in an unusual way.

Front 476

泣

Back 476

Cry (432)

Hint 476

One CRIES and CRIES until one is STANDING UP knee-deep in WATER (or until one has a VASE-full of WATER).

Front 477

章

Back 477

badge (433)

Hint 477

Try to imagine a club BADGE pinned to your lapel in the form of a mammoth SUNFLOWER protruding from a wee little VASE.

Front 478

競

Back 478

Vie (434)

Hint 478

Two TEENAGERS are seen here STANDING UP to one another, VYING for the attention of their peers.

Front 479

帝

Back 479

Sovereign (435)

Hint 479

An uncommon, but not altogether unlikely picture of a reigning SOVEREIGN has himself STANDING UP in his APRON, presumably at the behest of *his* SOVEREIGN (she who is to be obeyed), who needs help with washing the dishes.

Front 480

童

Back 480

Juvenile (436)

Hint 480

This frame shows up the image of a JUVENILE hacker STANDING on top of a COMPUTER, or rather jumping up and down on it, because it refused to come up with the right answer.

Front 481

瞳

Back 481

Pupil (437)

Hint 481

Begin with the double meaning of the key word PUPIL. "student' and the "apple of one's EYE." Now all you have to do is dwell on the phrase "JUVENILE of one's EYE."

Front 482

鐘

Back 482

Bell (438)

Hint 482

This BELL is made of cheap METAL, and so badly made that when you ring it, it lets out a noise like the "bellowing" of JUVENILES who aren't getting their own way.

Front 483

商

Back 483

Make a deal (439)

Hint 483

See the peddlar STANDING atop his MOTORCYCLE HELMET as if it were a soapbox, hawking his wares to passerbys. The LEGS and MOUTH represent the tools of the trade of MAKING A DEAL any way you can.

Front 484

Primitive:

Back 484

Antique (pg 178)

Hint 484

The primitive meaning ANTIQUE, not itself a kanji, depicts a VASE kept under a GLASS HOOD because it is very, very OLD.

Front 485

嫡

Back 485

legitimate wife (440)

Hint 485

the phrase LEGITIMATE WIFE would have no meaning if there were not such things as "illigitimate wives," taken because one's legal WOMAN has turned into an ANTIQUE.

Front 486

適

Back 486

suitable (441)

Hint 486

Can you imagine anything less SUITABLE to do with one's precious ANTIQUES than to display them in the middle of the ROAD?

Front 487

滴

Back 487

Drip (442)

Hint 487

Picture WATER DRIPPING on what you thought were precious ANTIQUES, only to find that the artificial aging painted on them is running!

Front 488

敵

Back 488

Enemy (443)

Hint 488

Picture your most precious ANTIQUE being knocked over by your most unlikeable TASKMASTER, and you have a good picture of how people make themselves ENEMIES for life.

Front 489

匕

Back 489

Spoon (444)

Hint 489

This character, a pictograph of a SPOON, is easy enough to remember, provided you keep it distinct from that for seven. The difference is that the first stroke cuts across the second ever so slightly here.
Prim: SOMEONE SITTING ON THE GROUND in this case the second stroke does not cut through the first at all.

Front 490

北

Back 490

North (445)

Hint 490

The cold air from the NORTH is so strong that we see two PEOPLE SITTING ON THE GROUND back to back, their arms interlocked so they don't blow away.

Front 491

背

Back 491

Stature (446)

Hint 491

One's STATURE is measured according to the "NORTHERN-most" PART OF THE BODY

Front 492

比

Back 492

Compare (447)

Hint 492

With TWO SPOONS, one in each hand, you are COMPARING your mother's cooking with your mother-in-law's.

Front 493

昆

Back 493

Descendants (448)

Hint 493

By COMPARING apes with anthropoids, we not only discover the latter have DESCENDED from those progenitors educated in the higher branches, but that the very idea of seeing everything DESCENDED from everything else, one way or another, means that there is "nothing new *under* the SUN"

Front 494

皆

Back 494

All (449)

Hint 494

Think of the housewives in TV commercials "COMPARING the WHITENESS" of their laundry from across the fence, a typical advertisement for the popular detergent known as ALL.

Front 495

混

Back 495

Mix (450)

Hint 495

MIXED marriages, this character suggests, WATER down the quality of one's DESCENDANTS - the oldest racial nonesense in the world!

Front 496

Primitive:

Back 496

Siesta (pg. 181)

Hint 496

Conjure up the classic portrait of the Latin SIESTA: a muchacho SITTING ON THE GROUND, propped up against some building, BOUND UP from the neck to ankles in a poncho, one of those great, broad-rimmed mariachi hats pulled down over his face, and teh noonday SUN beating down overhead.

Front 497

渇

Back 497

Thirst (451)

Hint 497

As you pass by the muchacho taking the SIESTA, he cries out that he is THIRSTY and asks for something to drink. So you turn the WATER hose on him.

Front 498

謁

Back 498

Audience (452)

Hint 498

Imagine an AUDIENCE with the emperor or the pope in which all those in attendance are sitting down, leaning against the wall, sleeping like our muchacho on SIESTA as the host delivers his SPEECH.

Front 499

褐

Back 499

Brown (453)

Hint 499

The color of the serape or CLOAK of our muchacho on SIESTA is a dull BROWN, the color this kanji indicates.

Front 500

喝

Back 500

Hoarse (454)

Hint 500

WHen the muchacho of SIESTA looks up at you and opens his MOUTH to talk, his voice is so HOARSE that you cannot understand him.

Front 501

旨

Back 501

Delicious (455)

Hint 501

Something is so downright DELICIOUS that one spends th entire DAY wiht a SPOON in hand gobbling it up.

Front 502

脂

Back 502

Fat (456)

Hint 502

This kanji tells us that if you feed the FLESH with too many DELICIOUS things, it soon picks up a layer of FAT.

Front 503

壱

Back 503

I (one) (457)

Hint 503

The roman numeral I, like that for II is only rarely used now. In the midst of the SAMURAI, we notice one in particular is SITTING ON THE GROUND with a CROWN on its head, indicating that he is "number 1" in the current rankings.

Front 504

毎

Back 504

Every (458)

Hint 504

"Behind EVERY successful person lies a woman...," who usually turns out to be one's MAMA!

Front 505

敏

Back 505

Cleverness (459)

Hint 505

Behind EVERY successful TASKMASTER, the CLEVERNESS of a fox to outwit his charges.

Front 506

Primitive:

Back 506

Reclining (pg 183)

Hint 506

The picture is obvious: the first stroke represents the head, and teh second the body of someone RECLINING. you may also use the synonyms LYING or LYING DOWN.

Front 507

梅

Back 507

Plum (460)

Hint 507

Behind EVERY Jack Horner's piemaker, a TREE full of PLUMS.

Front 508

海

Back 508

Sea (461)

Hint 508

Behind EVERY DROP OF WATER, a SEA from which all WATER originally came.

Front 509

乞

Back 509

Beg (462)

Hint 509

See someone LYING DOWN in a public place with a HOOK in place of a hand, BEGGING a morsel of rice or a few pence.

Front 510

乾

Back 510

Drought (463)

Hint 510

In times of DROUGHT anything at all will do. Here we see the victims BEGGING for just a little MIST for relief.

Front 511

腹

Back 511

Abdomen (464)

Hint 511

If you DOUBLE BACK (fold over) most animals in the middle, the PART OF THE BODY where the crease come is the ABDOMEN.

Front 512

欠

Back 512

lack (466)

Hint 512

The pictograph here is of someone yawning. The first stroke shows the head thrown back; the second, the arm bent at the elbow as the hand reaches up to cover the mouth; and the last two, the legs. Since yawning shows a LACK of something (psychologically, interest. physiologically, sleep), the connection is plain to see.
Prim: YAWN; LACK

Front 513

吹

Back 513

Blow (467)

Hint 513

To BLOW is really no more than a deliberate effort to make one's MOUTH lack all the air that is in it.

Front 514

炊

Back 514

Cook (468)

Hint 514

Better to picture what happens when you do not pay attention to your work in the kitchen. Here we see a blazing FIRE and an inattentive, YAWNING COOK who let things get out of control.

Front 515

歌

Back 515

Song (469)

Hint 515

The SONG in this kanji is being sung by a chorus line of CAN-CAN girls. Why it should be eliciting nothing but YAWNING from the audience, I leave you to decide.

Front 516

軟

Back 516

Soft (470)

Hint 516

If the cushions of one's CAR are too SOFT, one may begin YAWNING at the wheel.

Front 517

Primitive:

Back 517

Double back (pg. 185)

Hint 517

Either the connotations of turning around and heading back during one's travels, or folding an object in half will do here. It pictures someone DOUBLING BACK to the nearest inn to LIE DOWN and rest a weary pair of WALKING LEGS after a full DAY'S voyage.

Front 518

複

Back 518

Duplicate (465)

Hint 518

In its original and etymologically transparent sense, to DUPLICATE something means to DOUBLE it BACK with a fold, like the fold of a CLOAK.

Front 519

次

Back 519

Next (471)

Hint 519

This key word connotes the "NEXT in line" of a succession of people or things. Let there be a LACK of ICE on the hottest day of the summer, and you stand impatiently in line waiting for the distributor to yell out "NEXT!"
PRIM: NEXT; or related meaning SECOND

Front 520

茨

Back 520

Briar (472)

Hint 520

Recall the story of BRIAR rose and the BRIAR hedge that grew around her castle. Here we see how in the SECOND part of the story, the BRIARS blossomed into FLOWERS. Hence her name, BRIAR Rose.

Front 521

資

Back 521

assets (473)

Hint 521

The first SHELLS (money) you earn, you use to pay your debts. From then on, the NEXT SHELLS you accumulate become your ASSETS.

Front 522

姿

Back 522

Figure (474)

Hint 522

This kanji depicts a WOMAN'S FIGURE as a sort of SECOND self.

Front 523

諮

Back 523

Consult with (475)

Hint 523

To seek the WORDS of a SECOND MOUTH is to CONSULT WITH someone about something.

Front 524

賠

Back 524

Compensation (476)

Hint 524

Picture a CLAM used as a MUZZLE to quiet the complaints of a fisherman's widow asking COMPENSATION for her husband lost at sea.

Front 525

培

Back 525

Cultivate (477)

Hint 525

The barrel hoops used by many Japanese farmers to stretch clear plastic over rows of vegetables in a garden patch in the hopes of CULTIVATING bigger and bigger vegetables is a way of MUZZLING the SOIL.

Front 526

剖

Back 526

Divide (478)

Hint 526

To "DIVIDE and conquer" you use a SABER and a MUZZLE.

Front 527

Primitive:

Back 527

Muzzle (pg 188)

Hint 527

The element for MUZZLE shows a VASE fixed over a MOUTH, perhaps with a rubber band running around the back of the head to keep it in place.

Front 528

音

Back 528

Sound (479)

Hint 528

The kanji for SOUND depicts something STANDING in the air over a TONGUE WAGGING IN THE MOUTH, much the same as a SOUND does for the briefest moments before disappearing.

Front 529

暗

Back 529

Darkness (480)

Hint 529

When "DARKNESS covered the earth" at the beginning of time, there was neither SUN nor SOUND.

Front 530

韻

Back 530

Rhyme (481)

Hint 530

Poetry restricted to versus that RHYME often finds it has to abandon clarity of thought in order to make the RHYME of the words work. In this kanji's picture, one becomes a kind of "SOUND-EMPLOYEE."

Front 531

Primitive:

Back 531

Kazoo (pg. 189)

Hint 531

This primitive's usefulness is not in the frequency of its appearance, but the simplification of difficult kanji. It pictures the SOUND of a FIESTA, namely a KAZOO. Note how the element for SOUND is written first, the fifth stroke extended so that it can be used in the element for FIESTA.

Front 532

識

Back 532

Discriminating (482)

Hint 532

A person of DISCRIMINATING intellect can tell the difference between mere KAZOO-buzzing and WORDS spoken wisely.

Front 533

鏡

Back 533

Mirror (483)

Hint 533

After lakes but before glass, polished METAL was used for MIRRORS. These METAL MIRRORS are recalled in this character for a MIRROR.

Front 534

Primitive:

Back 534

Mirror (pg. 190)

Hint 534

This primitive gets its meaning from the kanji for mirror. It shows a pair of HUMAN LEGS and a TONGUE-WAGGING MOUTH looking at a MIRROR STANDING on the wall, asking perhaps who might be the fairest of them all.

Front 535

境

Back 535

Boundary (484)

Hint 535

Imagine the BOUNDARY of a plot of LAND marked with gigantic MIRRORS enabling the landowner to keep trespassers in sight at all times.

Front 536

亡

Back 536

Deceased (485)

Hint 536

A TOP HAT hanging on a HOOK in the front hall right where the DECEASED left it the day he died, reminds us of him and this kanji.
PRIM: DECEASED; TO PERISH

Front 537

盲

Back 537

Blind (486)

Hint 537

If one's EYES PERISH before death, one remains BLIND for the rest of life.

Front 538

妄

Back 538

Delusion (487)

Hint 538

The "ideal WOMAN" one daydreams about is no more than a DELUSION. Hence, PERISH the thought of her.

Front 539

荒

Back 539

Laid Waste (488)

Hint 539

The FLOWERS that PERISH in the FLOOD are taken here as symbols of an area that has ben LAID WASTE.

Front 540

望

Back 540

Ambition (489)

Hint 540

The story of AMBITION talks of a KING walking under the PERISHING (or "waning") MOON dreaming great dreams about his kingdom. (The roots of AMBITION are from the same word as "ambulate," meaning to walk about.)

Front 541

方

Back 541

Direction (490)

Hint 541

Spinning a DAGGER about on its hilt on the top of a TOP HAT--waiting to see in which DIRECTION it points when it comes to rest ---one leaves to fate where one is going next.
PRIM: COMPASS

Front 542

妨

Back 542

Disturb (491)

Hint 542

Imagine a COMPASS that is DISTURBED every time a WOMAN passes by, sending the needle spinning madly round and round.

Front 543

坊

Back 543

Boy (492)

Hint 543

The character for a BOY shows us a BOY scout cleaning the DIRT out of his COMPASS-- the more DIRT, the better.

Front 544

芳

Back 544

Perfumed (493)

Hint 544

Here we see a special COMPASS used to pick out those FLOWERS most suited for making good PERFUMES.

Front 545

肪

Back 545

Obese (494)

Hint 545

One who eats too much soon needs a COMPASS to find one's way around the OBESE mass of FLESH that accumulates in the midsection.

Front 546

訪

Back 546

Call on (495)

Hint 546

When making a courtesy CALL ON a diginitary, one has to gauge one's WORDS with great care. Hence the need for a COMPASS.

Front 547

放

Back 547

Set free (496)

Hint 547

The TASKMASTER SETS and unruly servant FREE, giving him no more than a quick glance at the COMPASS and a boot from behind.

Front 548

激

Back 548

Violent (497)

Hint 548

Some cosmic TASKMASTER hovering overhead whips up the waves to make them dash VIOLENTLY against the shore. In the WHITE foam that covers the WATER we see a broken COMPASS floating, all that remains of a shipwreck.

Front 549

Primitive:

Back 549

Devil (pg. 194)

Hint 549

the two HORNS on the head of the TEENAGER are enough to suggest to most parents the adolescents a good image of the DEVIL.

Front 550

脱

Back 550

Undress (498)

Hint 550

To UNDRESS is to expose the FLESH and tempt the DEVIL in the eyes of one's onlookers.

Front 551

説

Back 551

Rumor (499)

Hint 551

Not inappropriately, this character likens a RUMOR to the DEVIL's own WORDS.

Front 552

鋭

Back 552

Pointed (500)

Hint 552

METAL that has been POINTED (as an awl, a pick, a nail, or a knife) tends to serve the DEVIL's purposes as well as civilization's: our tools are also our weapons.

Front 553

曽

Back 553

Formerly (501)

Hint 553

This primitive/kanji is composed of a pair of HORNS growing out of a BRAIN with a TONGUE WAGGING IN THE MOUTH beneath. Think of "FORMER" in connection with administrators or heads of state who have just left office but continue to make a nuisance of themselves by advertising their opinions on public policy.
PRIM: INCREASE (from the kanji for "increase")

Front 554

増

Back 554

Increase (502)

Hint 554

This kanji depicts an INCREASE of SOIL, multiplying so fast that it literally buries everything in its path.

Front 555

贈

Back 555

Presents (503)

Hint 555

It seems the the number of *shells* one has to spend for PRESENTS that are satisfactory constantly *increase*. I remember when a $5 barbie doll was a beloved present, now, anything less than a $50 game or $300 ipod is looked upon with disdain.

Front 556

東

Back 556

East (504)

Hint 556

As a "western" language. English identifies the EAST with the rising SUN. In more fanciful terms, we see the SUN piercing through a TREE as it rises in the EAST.
PRIM: both the direction EAST and the part of the world called "THE EAST" are primitive meanings of this character.

Front 557

棟

Back 557

Ridgepole (505)

Hint 557

If the piece of WOOD in the roof known as the RIDGEPOLE points EAST, the sunrise will be visible from the front door.

Front 558

凍

Back 558

Frozen (506)

Hint 558

The whole secret to breaking the ICE with THE EAST is to peek behind those mysteriously "FROZEN smiles."

Front 559

Primitive:

Back 559

Porter (pg 196)

Hint 559

let the extended dot at the top represent the load that the SAMURAI is carrying in his role as the master's PORTER.

Front 560

妊

Back 560

Pregnancy (507)

Hint 560

A WOMAN who is in her PREGNANCY is a bit like a PORTER, bearing her new companion wherever she goes.

Front 561

廷

Back 561

Courts (508)

Hint 561

Those who rule the COURTS, the PORTERS of justice and order, are often found to STRETCH the law to suit their own purposes.

Front 562

染

Back 562

Dye (509)

Hint 562

In order to create the most brilliant DYE, one that can change between NINE colors, you require WATER and NINE ingredients that all come from a single, rare TREE.

Front 563

燃

Back 563

Burn (510)

Hint 563

Both the act of something BURNING and the physical ailment of having a BURN are the SORT OF THING which only FIRE can cause.

Front 564

賓

Back 564

V.I.P. (511)

Hint 564

The VIP broke the CEILING of the HOUSE, and the stupid bastard only left a FEW SHELLS to pay for it!

Front 565

歳

Back 565

year-end (512)

Hint 565

At YEAR's-END we STOP, make resolutions, and then begin the new year MARCHING ahead with our changes a LITTLE at a time.

Front 566

県

Back 566

Prefecture (513)

Hint 566

Realizing there were 47 separate PREFECTURES to learn about, I immediately wanted to gouge my EYE out with a STRAIGHTENED FISHHOOK for a LITTLE sympathy.

Front 567

栃

Back 567

Horse Chestnut (514)

Hint 567

You could grow HORSE CHESTNUT TREES near a CLIFF by the TEN THOUSANDS, but you still can't eat them!

Front 568

Primitive:

Back 568

Scorpion (pg. 201)

Hint 568

This primitive is a pictograph of the SCORPION, the first strokes representing the head and pincers, the last stroke its barbed tail, in which you may recognize the FISHHOOK.

Front 569

地

Back 569

Ground (515)

Hint 569

The GROUND is made of SOIL in addition the creepy crawlies that walk it, like SCORPIONS.

Front 570

池

Back 570

Pond (516)

Hint 570

Picture a SCORPION letting its venom out DROP by DROP until it has made a whole POND of the stuff.

Front 571

虫

Back 571

insect (517)

Hint 571

sure looks like a snail to me.

Prim: it shall refer to the whole INSECT kingdom so we may use it in other kanji as we like.

Front 572

蛍

Back 572

lightning bug (518)

Hint 572

Did you ever wonder, when you were young enough to sit and daydream in a SCHOOLHOUSE, whether INSECTS like LIGHTNING BUGS could ignite anything?

Front 573

蛇

Back 573

Snake (519)

Hint 573

I would never invite INSECTS in to the HOUSE (because it has too many legs), but a SNAKE would be most welcome. I'd even offer a treat on a SPOON to entice it to enter.

Front 574

虹

Back 574

Rainbow (520)

Hint 574

Have you ever noticed how the RAINBOW is reflected from the wings of INSECTS? It must be a secret CRAFT of INSECTS to know how to sew RAINBOWS to their wings.

Front 575

蝶

Back 575

Butterfly (521)

Hint 575

A BUTTERFLY is an INSECT that passes to next GENERATIONS the colors found on the blossoming TREES.

Front 576

独

Back 576

Single (522)

Hint 576

Think of this key word in connection with bachelorhood. SINGLE guys are like packs of WILD DOGS that swarm around unsuspecting ladies like swarms of INSECTS.

Front 577

蚕

Back 577

Silkworm (523)

Hint 577

Any time a religious or HEAVENLY figure is depicted, he or she is almost always wearing SILK clothing. Is it any wonder that the humble SILKWORM is pictorially represented in this kanji as the HEAVENLY INSECT?

Front 578

風

Back 578

Wind (524)

Hint 578

Here we see a nasty gust of WIND, within which is a innumerable mass of gnats, swarming about like tiny DROPS of pesky INSECTS.

Front 579

己

Back 579

Self (525)

Hint 579

The kanji carriesthe abstract sense of SELF, the deep-down inner structure of the human person that mythology has often depicted as a SNAKE-which is what is shown here pictographically. --- Picture the SNAKE of eden; of course it wasn't really an individual evil entity, but a personification of humanity's undeniable, negative SELF.
PRIM: SNAKE

Front 580

起

Back 580

Rouse (526)

Hint 580

Nothing will ROUSE you to RUNNING quite like finding a SNAKE slithering in your bed in the morning.

Front 581

妃

Back 581

Queen (527)

Hint 581

QUEEN Cleopatra was a WOMAN who famously comitted suicide by using a poisonous SNAKE when she was about to lose her country to the Romans.

Front 582

改

Back 582

Reformation (528)

Hint 582

Pluralizing the SNAKE and focusing on a single TASKMASTER may help recommend the image of Ireland's famous REFORMER, St. Patrick, who, legend has it, drove away the SNAKES from the land. --- The SNAKES of society, so slippery and unreliable (the politicians in power), require a TASKMASTER (a revolutionary) to lead a REFORMATION.

Front 583

記

Back 583

Scribe (529)

Hint 583

The SCRIBES of the bible twisted the intended WORDS till they were no less poisoned and venomous than the SNAKES of egypt.

Front 584

包

Back 584

Wrap (530)

Hint 584

The SNAKE WRAPPED around its prey, BINDING it up tightly before devouring it.
PRIM: let "wrap" mean "WITH A SNAKE COILED AROUND IT"

Front 585

胞

Back 585

Placenta (531)

Hint 585

If the PART OF THE BODY that WRAPS all humans in the womb, the PLACENTA, is not removed at birth, the baby may asphyxiate on it.

Front 586

砲

Back 586

Cannon (532)

Hint 586

A CANNON shot a CANNON ball so hard that it literally WRAPPED the CANNON ball around another STONE!

Front 587

泡

Back 587

Bubble (533)

Hint 587

If a BUBBLE is not WRAPPED perfectly around into a sphere, it will pop and DROP by DROP it will drip away as if it never were.

Front 588

亀

Back 588

Tortoise (534)

Hint 588

This is not a turtle, but a TORTOISE. Let the "BOUND UP" at the top refer to the head, and the two SUNS, with the long tail running through it, to the shell.
Prim: As a primitive, this kanji is abbreviated to its bottom half and comes to mean EEL.

Front 589

電

Back 589

Electricity (535)

Hint 589

RAIN gives water to the seas where the electric EEL waits to use it as a conductor to kill its prey.

Front 590

竜

Back 590

Dragon (536)

Hint 590

In order not to confuse this kanji with the zodiacal "sign of the dragon," think here of a paper parade DRAGON. -- Think of an EEL that can STAND UP, why, its a DRAGON!!

Front 591

滝

Back 591

Waterfall (537)

Hint 591

To get rid of your kid's awful pets you go to a WATERFALL, and dump into the WATER a VASEfull of slimy EELS.

Front 592

Primitive:

豕

Back 592

Sow (pg 207)

Hint 592

Let this primitive represent a fat SOW. Easier than pulling it apart into smaller elements is remembering its shape as a highly stylized pictograph.

Front 593

豚

Back 593

Pork (538)

Hint 593

The FLESH flayed from the side of a SOW is the PORK we eat in the morning. Mmm..bacon.

Front 594

逐

Back 594

Pursue (539)

Hint 594

here we see an escaped SOW running down the ROAD to esacpe becoming this morning's bacon for the farmer relentlessly PURSUING her.

Front 595

遂

Back 595

Consummate (540)

Hint 595

Here, we see an SOW running down a PATH, playfully trying to escape the HORNED HOG that is in hot PURSUIT. And the goal is obvious, he want to CONSUMMATE his love!

Front 596

家

Back 596

House (541)

Hint 596

The typical HOUSE is a pig sty, or more literally, a HOUSE for SOWs.

Front 597

嫁

Back 597

Marry Into (542)

Hint 597

The kanji in this frame demonstrates the traditional Japanese approach to marriage: it is the WOMAN who leaves her family for another HOUSEhold, thus MARRYING INTO a man's family.

Front 598

Primitive:

Back 598

Piglets (pg. 208)

Hint 598

This abbreviation of the full primitive for a SOW, quite naturally, means PIGLETS.

Front 599

豪

Back 599

Overpowering (543)

Hint 599

Someone TALL towers over a SOW, CROWNING her at the fair for her OVERPOWERING piggy prowess.

Front 600

腸

Back 600

Intestines (544)

Hint 600

The INTESTINES are the PART OF THE FLESH in to which food is passed and stored till release like a FLESH PIGGY BANK.

Front 601

Primitive:

Back 601

Piggy Bank (pg. 208)

Hint 601

Remember that each DAY you put a few penniess into the back of the little PIGLET on your burearu that you call a PIGGY BANK

Front 602

場

Back 602

Location (545)

Hint 602

The best of LOCATIONs become tourist attractions: basically a place where anything on the LAND is exploited to create a healthy PIGGY BANK for the locals.

Front 603

湯

Back 603

Hot water (546)

Hint 603

Here we see PIGLETS who have been naughty little PIGLETS all DAY long and gotten themselves into some HOT WATER. Really, what you see here are the PIGLETS standing really still, so as to look like PIGGY BANKS, to avoid being put into a pot of boiling HOT WATER like their owner wants to do to punish them for their mischief.

Front 604

羊

Back 604

Sheep (547)

Hint 604

This pictograph shows the animal HORNS at the top attached to the head (the 3rd stroke), the front and back legs (strokes 4 and 5) and the body (the final stroke).
PRIM: SHEEP (as we saw with cow, the "tail" is cut off when set above another primitive.)

Front 605

美

Back 605

Beauty (548)

Hint 605

Try to think of what the Chinese were on to when they associated the idea of BEAUTY with a LARGE SHEEP

Front 606

洋

Back 606

Ocean (549)

Hint 606

Imagine sailing along on top the OCEAN's WATER. You look down and see the fluffy white ocean foam floating by, only to realize two seconds later its actually the fluffy side of a herd of SHEEP floating by! Wtf are they doing in the OCEAN?

Front 607

詳

Back 607

Detailed (550)

Hint 607

Here we see a SHEEP SPEAKING to an astonished listener and giving DETAILED dialogue as to why it won't be fucking sheared this year. Just imagine the foul, DETAILED WORDs said by the SHEEP.

Front 608

鮮

Back 608

Fresh (551)

Hint 608

Think here of certain...distasteful....middle easterners, eating FRESH FISH then going out and getting FRESH with a SHEEP. EWE!

Front 609

達

Back 609

Accomplished (552)

Hint 609

The key word is mean to connote someone "skilled" at something.
-- In order to becomed ACCOMPLISHED/skillful, you bury a sacraficial SHEEP under the SOIL of a deserted DIRT ROAD as a way to entreat a God's or Devil's help.

Front 610

羨

Back 610

Envious (553)

Hint 610

Take special care to note that in this kanji, the element for WATER is *under* the SHEEP and not to the side of the whole kanji. --- They say to not covet the grass which is greener on the other side, so this SHEEP decided, instead, to be ENVIOUS of the WATER which the other sheep use to make their grass grass greener; the water which he LACKS.

Front 611

Primitive:

Back 611

Wool (pg. 211)

Hint 611

This uncommon primitive is made by pulling the tail of the SHEEP to one side to create a semienclosure. The meaning of WOOL is derived from the fact that the shearer is holding the SHEE by the tail in order to trim its WOOL.

Front 612

差

Back 612

Distinction (554)

Hint 612

Though made of the same material, there is an obvious DISTINCTION between WOOL and the CRAFTS which come from it.

Front 613

着

Back 613

Don (555)

Hint 613

Clearly describes DONNING (putting on) one's clothes as "pulling the WOOL over one's EYES"

Front 614

Primitive:
隹

Back 614

turkey (pg 211)

Hint 614

This primitive is best rememered as an old TURKEY, complete with a pipe and monocle. let the first 4 strokes = turkey's head, neck and drooping chin. The remainder can be a pictograph of the plumage.

Front 615

唯

Back 615

Solely (556)

Hint 615

The MOUTH of a TURKEY is SOLELY used to gobble (both for food and sound).

Front 616

焦

Back 616

Char (557)

Hint 616

Picture TURKEY-bird day. The TURKEY CHARRED to a crisp in the OVEN FIRE and the family gathered around it in hungery disappointment.

Front 617

礁

Back 617

Reef (558)

Hint 617

Call to mind the notorious FIRE coral. Imagine a REEF of FIRE coral, looking like an innocent mass of red ROCKS, but CHARRING instantly anything unfortunate enough to touch it.

Front 618

集

Back 618

Gather (559)

Hint 618

Picture so many fat TURKEYS GATHERED atop a single, skinny TREE that it is bending over due to their weight. --btw, wtf are TURKEYs doing atop a TREE? Damn birds can't fly!

Front 619

准

Back 619

Quasi- (560)

Hint 619

Here we find an ugly TURKEY imbedded in ICE; obviously a QUASI-TURKEY from the caveman era that made it to the modern age. I wonder if it will come to life and give a "gobble" when it is QUASI-thawed, like in that movie the "Caveman."

Front 620

進

Back 620

Advance (561)

Hint 620

Consider a bunch of TURKEYS who know TURKEY day is coming, and here we see one who has hit the ROAD in ADVANCE of it's coming in order to save itself!

Front 621

雑

Back 621

Miscellaneous (562)

Hint 621

A farm's MISCELLANEOUS chores includes taking a BASEBALL BAT to the TREE outside and hitting it over and over until the TURKEYS hiding in it fall out.

Front 622

雌

Back 622

Feminine (563)

Hint 622

This character for FEMININE forms a pair with that for masculine. --- A FEMININE lady will leave a FOOTPRINT shaped like a SPOON; if the woman is very overweight, however, her footprints would be more spread out like that of a TURKEY.

Front 623

準

Back 623

Semi- (564)

Hint 623

Think of this in terms of the SEMIfinals of something or other. ---- Some TURKEYS are in a SEMI-final contest of paddling through WATER; they don't realize 1 tricky TURKEY cheated and poked holes in everyone else's paddles with a NEEDLE to give himself the edge.

Front 624

確

Back 624

Assurance (567)

Hint 624

On the left you see the ROCK, but pay attention to the right side. Take careful note of the unusual stroke order that has the "chimney" on the HOUSE doubled up with the first stroke of the TURKEY, we may see the right as a TURKEY HOUSE (or "coop"). --- After being ASSURED taht they would be eaten when too old to lay eggs, the old hens put white STONES in the COOP to try and fool the owner about their productivity.

Front 625

午

Back 625

Noon (568)

Hint 625

With a bit of stretching, you might see a horse's head pointing leftwards in this character. That gives the primary meaning of the CHinese zodiacal sign of the horse, which corresponds to the hour of NOON. Note how this kanji differs from that for cow where the vertical stroke crosses through and above the top horizontal stroke.
PRIM: HORSE

Front 626

Primitive:

Back 626

Pegasus (pg. 215)

Hint 626

By combining the HORSE (giving a twist to its final stroke a bit to the left to keep the strokes from overlapping) with TURKEY, we get a FLYING HORSE or PEGASUS.

Front 627

許

Back 627

Permit (569)

Hint 627

The WORD "hiyaa!" to a HORSEy PERMITS him to go.

Front 628

歓

Back 628

Delight (570)

Hint 628

Here we see a kanji remniscent of Disney's animated "Fantasia" scene where the FLYING HORSES are bathing in the stream and the stallions begin to gather. As the dusk sets in, the FLYING HORSES all start YAWNING and pair off for the night: a perfectly DELIGHTFUL portrait of DELIGHT.

Front 629

権

Back 629

Authority (571)

Hint 629

Imagine the scene from "Clash of the TItans" where Perseus stood behind a TREE watching PEGASUS, just waiting to approach the FLYING HORSE and force it to be his mount with no real AUTHORITY to do so at all.

Front 630

観

Back 630

Outlook (572)

Hint 630

The OUTLOOK on life which Perseus had probably changed a good deal for the better in the story when the PEGASUS was SEEN.

Front 631

羽

Back 631

Feathers (573)

Hint 631

From the pictograph of 2 bird wings, we get FEATHERS.
PRIM: WINGS; can take the form of two backward E's as seen in 曜。

Front 632

習

Back 632

Learn (574)

Hint 632

Laying on the FEATHER pillow and clean WHITE sheets fo a comfy bed make it almost impossible to LEARN anything.

Front 633

翌

Back 633

The Following (575)

Hint 633

Here we can envision a self-aware VASE hopping along, from one spot to THE FOLLOWING spot, trying to catch the FEATHERs falling from a molting bird flying above it. Obviously held by Icarus as he helps his father prepare for their escape on THE FOLLOWING morn.

Front 634

曜

Back 634

Weekday (576)

Hint 634

WEEKDAYs are a certain kind of DAY where the TURKEYS wear their STRAIGHTENED FEATHERS like pressed work-day attire.

Front 635

濯

Back 635

Laundry (577)

Hint 635

Stepping into WATER and cleaning their STRAIGHTENED FEATHERS is the way a TURKEY does his laundry.

Front 636

Primitive:

囗 (enclosure, not mouth)

Back 636

Pent in (pg 218)

Hint 636

This primitive depicts a corral or pen surrounding something which is thus PENT IN.

Front 637

曰

（NOT day)

Back 637

Sayeth (578)

Hint 637

The key word refers to famous sayings of famous people, and is the origin for the primitive meaning of TONGUE WAGGING IN THE MOUTH. The size of this kanji, a relatively rare one is what distinguishes it from DAY. --- When a famous person makes a famous quote, the public's perception of her is forever PENT IN to that ONE comment that they heard.

Front 638

困

Back 638

Quandary (579)

Hint 638

Many tourists visit places of PENT IN TREES like national parks and lose their way, quickly winding up in a potentially deadly QUANDARY.

Front 639

固

Back 639

Harden (580)

Hint 639

Anything, like bread, left PENT IN somehwere to become OLD will HARDEN eventually.

Front 640

国

Back 640

Country (581)

Hint 640

Any COUNTRY with good leadership knows that the key to prosperity is to keep the JEWELS of the country PENT IN the country's borders. That is, the amount of expenditure should be as limited as possible.

Front 641

団

Back 641

Group (582)

Hint 641

Any GROUP made to stay together as though PENT IN will bond and be GLUED together as friends for life. At least, that seems to be how some people think.

Front 642

因

Back 642

Cause (583)

Hint 642

Did you see the news? An awful ST. BERNARD that had been PENT UP and starved escaped and CAUSED a terrible mauling.

Front 643

姻

Back 643

Matrimony (584)

Hint 643

Many WOMEN find that MATRIMONY will CAUSE them to gain alot of weight and become depressed.

Front 644

園

Back 644

Park (585)

Hint 644

In a PARK PENT IN by bricks, a LIDDED CROCK filled with gangster money sits waiting to be picked up. The only clue to what it really contains is the gaudy, colored SCARF with which it is marked.

Front 645

回

Back 645

-times (586)

Hint 645

The suffix "-times" refers to a number of repititions. Its elements MOUTH...PENT IN. You may find it more useful to think of one circle revolving inside of another.

Front 646

壇

Back 646

Podium (587)

Hint 646

Picture someone standing at a PODIUM out on the GROUND in a TOP HAT practicing a speech multiple TIMES until he realizes he's done it so long its actually NIGHTBREAK.

Front 647

Primitive:

广

Back 647

Cave (pg220)

Hint 647

This primitive combines the CLIFF with the first dot we use on the roof of the HOUSE. Together they make a "cliff house" or CAVE. It "encloses" its relative primitives beneath it and to the right.

Front 648

店

Back 648

Store (588)

Hint 648

There's a legend of a FORTUNE TELLING witch who lives in a CAVE who can tell you what your fortune has in STORE.

Front 649

庫

Back 649

Warehouse (589)

Hint 649

You are exploring a CAVE only to find it was once used as a WAREHOUSE for valuable old CARS. you're rich! Yay!

Front 650

庭

Back 650

Courtyard (590)

Hint 650

Imagine COURTS that send convicted people to CAVES and only allow prisoners out into the COURTYARD just beyond the entrance once a week for fresh air.

Front 651

庁

Back 651

Government Office (591)

Hint 651

Think of a secret society of the government where the GOVERNMENT OFFICE is a secluded CAVE where NAILS are driven into undesirable political opposers. Not a far stretch for some countries...

Front 652

床

Back 652

Bed (592)

Hint 652

In antiquity, the two safest places to BED down for the night were a CAVE or a TREE; better yet, if it were possible, a TREE within a CAVE.

Front 653

麻

Back 653

Hemp (593)

Hint 653

A new strain of HEMP has been developed that can grow in CAVES. This helps drug lords create veritable GROVES of HEMP as seen here in this particular CAVE.

Front 654

磨く

Back 654

Grind (594)

Hint 654

The HEMP must be processed by GRINDING on a STONE, this is done in a secret CAVE, of course, since the stuff is illegal.

Front 655

心

Back 655

Heart (595)

Hint 655

This is a pictographic representation of a heart, and is one of the most widely used primitives.
PRIM: 3 forms: In full-kanji form it is found beneath and to the right and means the physical organ, the HEART. To the left, it is abbreviated to 3 strokes as in 惰 and means a wildly emotional STATE OF MIND. Finally, at the very bottom, it can take a form found in 慕 and means VALENTINE.

Front 656

忘

Back 656

Forget (596)

Hint 656

Nothing can make you want to FORGET whole batches of events and emotions than the PERISHing of a dear relationship, or person who was dear to your HEART.

Front 657

忍

Back 657

Endure (597)

Hint 657

A relationship where your love is unrequited is best described as ENDURING life with a BLADE in your HEART.

Front 658

患

Back 658

Afflicted (604)

Hint 658

Imagine yourself AFFLICTED with a guily conscience after you've just eaten a huge, high-calorie SHISH-KEBAB, that you knew in your HEART you didn't really want to eat.

Front 659

認

Back 659

Acknowledge (598)

Hint 659

Picture a funeral where WORDS are spoken to ACKNOWLEDGE that the memory of the departed will ENDURE.

Front 660

思

Back 660

Think (605)

Hint 660

The two "BRAINS" that have any say in what you THINK are your BRAINS and HEART.

Front 661

忌

Back 661

Mourning (599)

Hint 661

The feeling of MOURNING the loss of anything great is likened to a SNAKE constricting on your HEART that won't go away.

Front 662

恩

Back 662

Grace (606)

Hint 662

Take GRACE in its sense of a favor freely bestowed, not in its meaning of charming manners or fluid movment. ---- Christian activists take up a CAUSE out of the goodness of their HEART and expect people to convert because of the GRACES bestowed; that is: bribery for belief.

Front 663

志

Back 663

Intention (600)

Hint 663

The INTENTION of the SAMURAI is to SUPRESS the desires of his HEART and do his duty.

Front 664

応

Back 664

Apply (607)

Hint 664

The sense of the word here is of something appropriate that fills a particular need, and hence "APPLIES." -- The only thing a CAVE needs is a little HEART to make it a home, and then the HOA could find their rules APPLICABLE to it.

Front 665

誌

Back 665

Document (601)

Hint 665

This DOCUMENT is a contract with WORDS of the cops INTENTION to search the premesis! Someone ratted us out! Scatter!

Front 666

意

Back 666

Idea (608)

Hint 666

An IDEA is something that comes to you from the HEART and usually evokes a SOUND like "aha!"

Front 667

忠

Back 667

Loyalty (602)

Hint 667

The truth of where your LOYALTY really lies is IN your HEART.

Front 668

想

Back 668

Concept (609)

Hint 668

To distinguish this kanji from that of the previous fram, focus on the sense of the "con-" in the word "CONCEPT." --- I couldn't understand the CONCEPT of wanting to INTER-fere with a taken man's HEART. Now, unfortunately, I can.

Front 669

串

Back 669

Shish-kebab (603)

Hint 669

This is a pictograph of two peices of meat on a skewer, a SHISH-KEBAB.

Front 670

息

Back 670

Breath (610)

Hint 670

Ashtanga yoga preaches that BREATH should come in through the NOSE and into the HEART.

Front 671

憩

Back 671

Recess (611)

Hint 671

At RECESS two children try to kiss with all the affection in their HEARTs, but he misses and his TONGUE meets her NOSE. how cute is that?

Front 672

恵

Back 672

Favor (612)

Hint 672

If you do me the FAVOR of tending my TEN FEILDs, my HEART will be yours!

Front 673

恐

Back 673

Fear (613)

Hint 673

My greatest FEAR is that I will be only MEDIOCRE at my chosen CRAFT; I don't think my HEART could bear it.

Front 674

惑

Back 674

Beguile (614)

Hint 674

Here we see a scene where some person is on his knees before his lover, kissing the ground she walks on (MOUTH to GROUND), as he attempts to BEGUILE her with his eccentric antics. Little does she know what a womanizer he really is!

Front 675

感

Back 675

Emotion (615)

Hint 675

Here, we envision some love-struck lady being very EMOTIONAL and MARCHING back and forth, pouring her HEART out through her MOUTH to the one she has wanted to confess her feelings to for ages.

Front 676

憂

Back 676

Melancholy (616)

Hint 676

Note: The doubling-up of the last stroke of HEAD with the top of CROWN serves to make the whoel more aesthetically beautiful. It happens rarely. -- Pictured here is a MELANCHOLY statue of Jesus; we see his HEAD above and WALKING LEGS below, and at his chest, the CROWNED HEART so frequently depicted in catholic icons.

Front 677

寡

Back 677

Widow (617)

Hint 677

Note: the final stroke of HEAD is lengthened, giving the final two strokes a chance to stretch out and make room for the dagger underneath. --- In this HOUSE, the matriach is soon to be a WIDOW. See how she has a DAGGER hidden under her HEAD, just waiting for the opportune moment to attack him.

Front 678

忙

Back 678

Busy (618)

Hint 678

The calm STATE OF MIND PERISHES when you become BUSY, which is right when you need it most!

Front 679

悦

Back 679

Ecstasy (619)

Hint 679

ECSTASY can bring your STATE OF MIND to a DEVILishly good place. ;)

Front 680

恒

Back 680

Constancy (620)

Hint 680

if you maintain CONSTANCY in your daily life as far as diet, exercise, and meditation, a healthy STATE OF MIND will be yours for the SPAN of your life.

Front 681

悼

Back 681

Lament (621)

Hint 681

To keep this character distinct from others of similar connotation, one need only think of the prophet Jeremiah whose poetry gave an EMINENCE to the STATE OF MIND we call LAMENTATION.

Front 682

悟

Back 682

Enlightenment (622)

Hint 682

ENLIGHTENMENT can only be reached when you are in a STATE OF MIND that is "one" with what you percieve as your "self," or that which you call "I."

Front 683

怖

Back 683

Dreadful (623)

Hint 683

Nothing could be more DREADFUL than a depressed STATE OF MIND when with someone between the LINEN sheet with whom you want to be intimate.

Front 684

慌

Back 684

Disconcerted (624)

Hint 684

A DISCONCERTED STATE OF MIND results when one's STATE OF MIND is LAID WASTE to by some unforseen event.

Front 685

悔

Back 685

Repent (625)

Hint 685

Christianity would have you believe that you should REPENT for EVERY STATE OF MIND you have ever had. Isn't that some BS?

Front 686

憎

Back 686

Hate (626)

Hint 686

Being positive is hard, and unfortunately, it can be very easy to let a HATEFUL STATE OF MIND INCREASE within you and take over your thoughts.

Front 687

慣

Back 687

Accustomed (627)

Hint 687

It's hard for any new point of view to PIERCE through the fog of a STATE OF MIND that is ACCUSTOMED to looking at things in one way. Kind of like how some chrisitans can't accept evolution as fact despite all the evidence because they've been brainwashed into being accustomed to one thought and closed to all others.

Front 688

愉

Back 688

Pleasure (628)

Hint 688

While you get PLEASURE from eating meat, I wonder what STATE OF MIND the BUTCHERS must've been in to slughter the animals in order to afford you that PLEASURE.

Front 689

惰

Back 689

Lazy (630)

Hint 689

Laziness is the product of a STATE OF MIND which lets people not do activities, yet eat what they want, such that all that remains of them if they don't curb their LAZINESS is a big ball of FLESH.

Front 690

慎

Back 690

Humility (630)

Hint 690

If more people could the TRUTH of themselves, their STATE OF MIND would lean more toward HUMILITY.

Front 691

憾

Back 691

Remorse (631)

Hint 691

The one life-choice I feel the greatest REMORSE for makes my EMOTIONS fluctuate wildly and unhinges my STATE OF MIND when I think back on it.

Front 692

憶

Back 692

Recollection (632)

Hint 692

Picture a guy in bed with an ugly creature, having only a blank STATE OF MIND, searching for any IDEA as to why he has no RECOLLECTION of how he got there.

Front 693

慕

Back 693

Pining (633)

Hint 693

My PINING for him leaves me wishing only that he were in a GRAVEYARD or my VALENTINE; there are no acceptable alternatives!

Front 694

添

Back 694

Annexed (634)

Hint 694

When the divinity ANNEXED emptiness into 3 entities, she made WATER to influence all, and the HEAVENS to watch over the VALENTINE of existence: people.

Front 695

必

Back 695

Invariably (635)

Hint 695

Note that stroke order is not the same as in "heart." Here, the leftmost dot is first, followed by the "strikthrough" from right to left, then the hook and dots from left to right. -- If one takes it as a pictograph "dividing" the HEART in half, then one has one of those INVARIABLY true bits of human anatomy: the fact that each HEART is divided into 2 halves.

Front 696

泌

Back 696

Ooze (636)

Hint 696

WATER is the INVARIABLE ingredient in anything that can OOZE.

Front 697

手

Back 697

Hand

Hint 697

Not a good pictograph of a hand, but there you have it.

PRIM: a single HAND

Front 698

看

Back 698

Watch over (638)

Hint 698

A good babysitter would WATCH OVER her charge by putting a HAND over the charge's EYES during scary parts of a movie

Front 699

摩

Back 699

Chafe (639)

Hint 699

Inside a CAVE, the wood from a GROVE is rubbed together by a HAND till it is CHAFED and raw, but there is still no illumination to be had.

Front 700

我

Back 700

Ego (640)

Hint 700

Note how the second stroke of HAND is stretched across to double up as the first stroke of the tasseled arrow we use for FIESTA. -- Some people have so much EGO they have to have a HAND in every FIESTA. Everybody knows someone like this.

Front 701

義

Back 701

Righteousness (641)

Hint 701

The RIGHTEOUSNESS of many people is equated to weighing the number of traits they have akin to those of a docile, amicable SHEEP, to those that spawn from their EGO.

Front 702

議

Back 702

Deliberation (642)

Hint 702

DELIBERATION is an exchange of WORDS, seeking an answer which reflects RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Front 703

Primitive:

Back 703

Fingers (pg 229)

Hint 703

This alternate form of the primitive for HAND we shall use to represent finger or fingers. It always appears to the left.

Front 704

犠

Back 704

Sacrifice (643)

Hint 704

Do NOT use the image of an animal sacrifice here, it has its own character later on. --- To SACRIFICE the consumption of COWs in search of RIGHTEOUSNESS is a common practice among hindu people.

Front 705

抹

Back 705

Rub (644)

Hint 705

Remember my first night in bed with Paul. When he started with a back RUB till his FINGERS searched for EXTREMITIES. ;)

Front 706

抱

Back 706

Embrace (645)

Hint 706

When I EMBRACE Paul, not only do my arms hold him, my FINGERS WRAP around whatever they can hold as well.

Front 707

搭

Back 707

Board (646)

Hint 707

The key word refers to BOARDing vessels for travel. --- Picture the FINGERS of a lovely creature affixing FLOWERS (a lei) on a tourist with a hawaiin shirt on, strangely the FLOWERS and shirt FIT TOGETHER.

Front 708

抄

Back 708

Extract (647

Hint 708

THink of the movie "Perfume," where whole women had to die for just a little female "EXTRACT." If all he had were A FEW FINGERS, he'd not even have gotten A FEW drops of EXTRACT.

Front 709

抗

Back 709

Confront (648)

Hint 709

There is frequently a fierce CONFRONTATION between the FINGERS of someone holding on to his favorite object and a WHIRLWIND that is trying to blow it away.

Front 710

批

Back 710

Criticism (649)

Hint 710

An evil tutor points FINGERS at your homework, COMPARING it to the superior sumbmissions made by the rest of the class, and offers nothing but CRITICISM.

Front 711

招

Back 711

Beckoning (650)

Hint 711

Picture a whore BECKONING with her FINGERS to come closer and submit to her SEDUCTION.

Front 712

拓

Back 712

Clear the land (651)

Hint 712

CLEARING THE LAND is done by prisoners who use their bare FINGERS to remove, and break down, the ROCKS on it.

Front 713

拍

Back 713

Clap (652)

Hint 713

Picture me after a Joshua Bell concert, CLAPPING so hard that my FINGERS were ghastly WHITE afterwards.

Front 714

打

Back 714

Strike (653)

Hint 714

Picture a dunce with a hammer who instead of just STRIKING his FINGERS with the hammer, as the average dunce would do, he actually STUCK the NAIL itself...and drove it straight through his FINGERS.

Front 715

拘

Back 715

Arrest (654)

Hint 715

When ARRESTED in the USA, the first things to happen are your FINGERS are put behind you (and handcuffed), and PHRASES are read to you about how "what you say will be used against you in a court of law."

Front 716

捨

Back 716

Discard (655)

Hint 716

A murderer's best way to DISCARD the FINGERS of his vitcim is to bury them under an old, abandoned COTTAGE, hoping that no one will ever go there and discover them.

Front 717

拐

Back 717

Kidnap (656)

Hint 717

A KIDNAP is actually depicted in this kanji. See the KIDNAPper's FINGERS about to cover the MOUTH of the victim, and the DAGGER already below the MOUTH, lingering menacingly at the victim's throat.

Front 718

摘

Back 718

Pinch (657)

Hint 718

A judicious pawn shop owner uses his FINGERS to PINCH a supposed ANTIQUE gold coin's edge, only to find it crumble off, an obvious forgery.

Front 719

挑

Back 719

Challenge (658)

Hint 719

Anyone who wishes to CHALLENGE another will make a lewd gesture with his FINGERS (whether throwing a gauntlet, or flippling the bird), an obvious PORTENT of future conflict.

Front 720

指

Back 720

Finger (659)

Hint 720

One's preferred FINGER is the FINGER which one always uses to dip into DELICIOUS cake, brownie and cookie batters when there's a bit left.

Front 721

持

Back 721

Hold (660)

Hint 721

Training at a severe BUDDHIST TEMPLE involves HOLDING hot coals in one's FINGERS without reaction.

Front 722

括

Back 722

Fasten (661)

Hint 722

Sometimes I wish I could FASTEN a certain person's FINGERS to his TONGUE to stop him from speaking and spreading his lies.

Front 723

揮

Back 723

Brandish (662)

Hint 723

Obviously the FINGERS of one in a CHARIOT BRANDISH a whip with which to whip the poor horses that pull him. Really, you couldn't ask for a better image than the FINGERS in battle vehicle like a CHARIOT for the image of BRANDISH.

Front 724

推

Back 724

Conjecture (663)

Hint 724

Trying to veer away from the ubiquitous fast food "chicken FINGERS," we see here the representation of a new chain's CONJECTURE about how to put a new twist on an old staple. The result of their CONJECTURE? TURKEY FINGERS.

Front 725

揚

Back 725

Hoist (664)

Hint 725

A victorious child can barely HOIST the weight of his full PIGGY BANK above his head with only his FINGERS, and after dancing around a bit trying to balance it, the PIGGY BANK slips from his FINGERS and crashes to the ground.

Front 726

提

Back 726

Propose (665)

Hint 726

If a man PROPOSES, but does not make the woman's FINGERS look JUST SO, she will leave in a huff, responding with only "No way!"

Front 727

損

Back 727

Damage (666)

Hint 727

An EMPLOYEE, who thought he had another job lined up, gave the FINGER to his boss just before losing the second job. He tried to apologize for giving the FINGER so he could remain an EMPLOYEE, but by then it was too late, the DAMAGE was done.

Front 728

拾

Back 728

Pick up (667)

Hint 728

Picture someone bending down to PICK UP a penny with the tips of her FINGERS, noticing how strange it is that almost any object and our FINGERS can FIT TOGETHER so well.

Front 729

担

Back 729

Shouldering (668)

Hint 729

Picture how Lynn had Paul SHOULDERING all the blame for ruining their relationship, leaving him to try to make her feel better by FINGERING her till NIGHTBREAK.

Front 730

拠

Back 730

Foothold (669)

Hint 730

The availability of a good FOOTHOLD is when you are rockclimbing DISPOSES of any need for a place to brace your FINGERS during your climb.

Front 731

描

Back 731

Sketch (670)

Hint 731

A SKETCH is the work of an artist's FINGERS and charcoal pencils; it is the SEEDLING of the painting it will eventually become.

Front 732

操

Back 732

Maneuver (671)

Hint 732

Here, a militia MANEUVERS through a hostile area, using their FINGERS for silent communication, in order to get GOODS to a specific TREE for military purposes.

Front 733

接

Back 733

Touch (672)

Hint 733

Remember how the villain in the T.V. show "Dexter" reacted when Dexter's FINGERS TOUCHED the VASE of the WOMAN's ashes. His sister's ashes, to be precise.

Front 734

Primitive:

Back 734

Two hands (pg. 233)

Hint 734

Let this primitive represent a union of TWO HANDS, both of which are used at the same time. Whenever this element appears at the bottom of its relative primitive, the top line is omitted, whether or not there is a horizontal line to replace it.

Front 735

掲

Back 735

Put up a notice (673)

Hint 735

While everyone is on SIESTA ignoring everything, diligent FINGERS PUT UP A NOTICE on a church door. Why, it is Martin Luther, initiating the protestant revolution.

Front 736

掛

Back 736

Hang (674)

Hint 736

A bunch of IVY HANGING from a branch like a curtain looks alot like it's hiding something. Curious, you reach your FINGERS through the IVY, only to discover to your amazement a MAGIC WAND.

Front 737

研

Back 737

Polish (675)

Hint 737

to adequately POLISH a STONE into a diamond, you must use extra effort and therefore BOTH HANDS.

Front 738

戒

Back 738

Commandment (676)

Hint 738

As Moses came down with the COMMANDMENTS in his TWO HANDS, he came upon a FIESTA in worship of a false diety. The FIESTA overcame his HANDS and he destroyed the first set of COMMANDMENTS.

Front 739

械

Back 739

Contraption (677)

Hint 739

A WOODEN CONTRAPTION such as paper would probably have been a much easier option for Moses to write the COMMANDMENTs on, and probably just as useful too since the tablets are no longer around anways.

Front 740

鼻

Back 740

Nose (678)

Hint 740

Imagine taking you TWO HANDS and reaching up into someone's NOSTRILS. Once inside you grab hold of the BRAIN and yank it out.

Front 741

刑

Back 741

punish (679)

Hint 741

Here we see a street rat about to be PUNISHED for theft. His TWO HANDS are on the table and the cops have their SABERS raised, ready to cut them off Aladdin style.

Front 742

型

Back 742

Mould (680)

Hint 742

An easy way to MOULD SOIL is to take a SABER in TWO HANDS and cut it into the desired MOULD shapes. Then you could easily pour in concrete or something into the MOULD and make nifty stepping stones.

Front 743

才

Back 743

Genius (681)

Hint 743

Whatever one is particularly adept at --one's special "GENIUS" -- one can do very easily, "with one finger" as the phrase goes. Note stroke order: horizontal (left to right); vertical; diagonal (right to left)
PRIM: GENIE (out in the open) when to the right or below a relative primitive. At the left the form alters to that in 存 and the meaning becomes GENIE IN A BOTTLE.

Front 744

財

Back 744

Property (682)

Hint 744

If one found a GENIE on one's PROPERTY, is it any doubt that one would immediately wish for endless amounts of SHELLS (money)?

Front 745

材

Back 745

Lumber (683)

Hint 745

TREE GENIES, also known as nymphs, are being obliterated in huge numbers in the modern era due to the phenomal demand for LUMBER. Its this century's silent genocide.

Front 746

存

Back 746

Suppose (684)

Hint 746

What do you SUPPOSE a CHILD would wish for if she found a GENIE IN A BOTTLE? I SUPPOSE they'd wish for lots of fun things to eat or play with.

Front 747

在

Back 747

Exist (685)

Hint 747

If a GENIE IN A BOTTLE EXISTS, the only explanation for it having not been found by now is that it is buried deep beneath the SOIL of the earth.

Front 748

乃

Back 748

From (686)

Hint 748

This pictograph of a clenched fist is another of the "hand primitives." Take note of its rather peculiar drawing. Try to think of drawing a FIST (the primitive meaning) "FROM" this charcter to give yourself a connoation for the otherwise abstract key word.
PRIM: FIST

Front 749

携

Back 749

Portable (687)

Hint 749

This is actually a picture of why birds are "PORTABLE" to food companies. WE se the FINGERS of a worker grabbing a TURKEY by the beak and holding it from below with a FIST, ready to toss it heartlessly into a truck for transport to be killed. It just makes you want to be a vegan after seeing it, really.

Front 750

及

Back 750

Reach out (688)

Hint 750

The addition of a final stroke transforms this charcter from the primitive for a clenched FIST into the kanji for REACHING OUT.
PRIM: OUTSTRETCHED HANDS.

Front 751

吸

Back 751

Suck (689)

Hint 751

A baby with its puckering MOUTH and waving OUTSTRETCHED HANDS manages to get what it wants: to SUCK on its mother's tit.

Front 752

扱

Back 752

handle (690)

Hint 752

A FINGER on an OUTSTRETCHED HAND is like a handle on a human to a baby.

Front 753

Primitive:

Back 753

Arm (pg. 236)

Hint 753

The picture of an ARM dangling from the trunk of the body gives us the element for ARM, or TUCKED UNDER THE ARM (relative to the element below it). unlike many primitives, the kanji that bears the same meaning has absolutely no connection with it.

Front 754

丈

Back 754

Length (691)

Hint 754

The LENGTH whose measure this kanji depicts extends from the tip of one hand to the tip of the other with ARMS at full length. Note the final stroke, which cuts across the vertical second stroke to distinguish it from "large."

Front 755

史

Back 755

History (692)

Hint 755

HISTORY wsa made by brave warriors who fought one on one with each other. Here we see the screaming MOUTH of the loser, caught in a headlock under the ARM of the soon-to-be victor.

Front 756

吏

Back 756

Officer (693)

Hint 756

Here we see the gaping MOUTH of a flabbergasted culprit, his ARMS cuffed behind his back, as he looks up at ONE large metal badge on the breast of an OFFICER. He was set up! The prostitute was an OFFICER under cover!

Front 757

更

Back 757

Grow Late (694)

Hint 757

The implication behind the meaning of GROW LATE is that things are changing in the same way that the day turns into night. ---- Here we see the SUN sinking lower from the CEILING of the sky to be tucked into the ARMS of Apollo as it GROWS LATE.

Front 758

硬

Back 758

Stiff (695)

Hint 758

As it GROWS LATE in our lives, our bodies grow STIFF as ROCKS from general weariness; of course this always ends in the ultimate STIFFNESS: rigor mortis.

Front 759

又

Back 759

Or again (696)

Hint 759

Like the several abbreviations in ROman script to indicate "and" (+,&, etc.), this short 2 stroke kanji is used for the similar meaning of OR AGAIN. --- Anyone who has ever had an experience with someone else's CROTCH faces the decision to either do it not a second time, OR AGAIN.
PRIM: CROTCH

Front 760

双

Back 760

Pair (697)

Hint 760

The CROTCH reduplicated gives us a PAIR. Note the drawing shape!

Front 761

桑

Back 761

Mulberry (698)

Hint 761

This kanji recalls that old song "Here we go round the MULBERRY bush..." but here, MULBERRY is actually the name of a rather promiscuous lady, so promiscuous in fact, men joking say "CROTCHES, CROTCHES everywhere" as a jab to her slutty ways. And that why, "CROTCHES, CROTCHES everywhere" and the erect WOOD of those dirty men that want it anyway combine to mean MULBERRY. That nasty, nasty lady.

Front 762

隻

Back 762

Vessels (699)

Hint 762

The key word indicates the Japanese generic term for counting ships. --- Tradition indicates that wine bottles are broken on the hull (CROTCH) of new VESSELS for good luck. But in Japan, apparently, they instead break grown TURKEYs on the CROTCH of the new VESSELs. Poor birds.

Front 763

護

Back 763

Safeguard (700)

Hint 763

Sometimes the best SAFEGUARD against being trampled by panicked passengers on a sinking VESSEL are calming WORDS and putting distracting, pretty things before them like FLOWERY visions.

Front 764

獲

Back 764

Seize (701)

Hint 764

Here a PACK OF WILD DOGS attempted to SEIZE meat they were sure was on a certain VESSEL. Turns out they aren't very good trackers at all, the only cargo on the VESSEL was FLOWERS.

Front 765

奴

Back 765

Guy (702)

Hint 765

Every GUY who is about to meet someone new has only two questions in mind: Are you a WOMAN and if so, can he get access to your CROTCH?

Front 766

怒

Back 766

Angry (703)

Hint 766

Anyone would be ANGRY at a GUY who'd choose a WOMAN for her CROTCH over choosing her for her HEART.

Front 767

友

Back 767

Friend (704)

Hint 767

A "FRIEND" can easily turn into a "FRIEND with benefits" if he or she is the only CROTCH that is BY ONE'S SIDE.

Front 768

抜

Back 768

Slip Out (705)

Hint 768

The worst thing to let SLIP OUT of your FINGERS is your closest FRIEND. Unless he turned into a douchebag.

Front 769

Primitive:

Back 769

Missile (pg. 239)

Hint 769

Although modern connotations are more suggestive, this primitive simply refers to something thrown as a weapon. ---- Zipping through the WIND like a MISSILE is the awesomest kind of motorcycle: the CROTCH rocket.

Front 770

投

Back 770

Throw (706)

Hint 770

Your FINGERS are the most respectable way to THROW a MISSILE. Any other way is just a weapon.

Front 771

没

Back 771

Drown (707)

Hint 771

Those under WATER in a submarine facing an oncoming MISSILE are almost sure to die a horrible death by being DROWNED if not killed by the MISSILE itself.

Front 772

設

Back 772

Establishment (708)

Hint 772

The ESTABLISHMENT of any law or rule happens only after many WORDS of disagreemet have been shot between people like MISSILES.

Front 773

撃

Back 773

Beat (709)

Hint 773

Here is a surefire way to BEAT your opponent. Hit him with a CAR, shoot him with a MISSILE, and then tear apart the bloody peices with your bare HANDS. That douchebag deserves it!

Front 774

殻

Back 774

Husk (710)

Hint 774

Any SAMURAI who'd turn to using SUPERFLUOUS inventions like MISSILES are but HUSKS of their former honorable selves.

Front 775

支

Back 775

Branch (711)

Hint 775

While sitting on a BRANCH I got stuck by a NEEDLE-thin twig in my CROTCH. That was seriously unpleasant.

Front 776

技

Back 776

Skill (712)

Hint 776

SKILLED FINGERS can easily take something and make it BRANCH out in multiple directions. Whether its SKILL as a gardener in taking a BRANCH clipping from a plant and managing to make it grow BRANCHES of its own after transplanting it; or business SKILL in taking underwater businesses, turning them around, and in a short time opening new BRANCHES of that business for new customers.

Front 777

枝

Back 777

Bough (713)

Hint 777

The main TREE BRANCH is the BOUGH, obviously. But lets picture the aftermath of the baby who was in that cradle from the rhyme "When the BOUGH breaks, the cradle will fall." That baby is pretty pissed about that BOUGH breaking, and has gone to the head BRANCH of the "Department of TREES" who were responsible for making that BOUGH, demanding compensation for his troubles.

Front 778

肢

Back 778

Limb (714)

Hint 778

The term LIMB is a pun for a PART OF THE BODY as well as a BRANCH.

Front 779

Primitive:

Back 779

Spool (pg 240)

Hint 779

Here we see a simplified picture of a SPOOL (the element for EARTH at the bottom) and threads being wound about it tightly (the CROTCH) at top.

Front 780

茎

Back 780

Stalk (715)

Hint 780

The STALK is defined as that cyclindrical, SPOOL-shaped part that holds up the colored part of the FLOWER.

Front 781

怪

Back 781

Suspicious (716)

Hint 781

A SUSPICIOUS person will soon find her STATE OF MIND as one that spins out tales of possibilities as if from an unraveling SPOOL.

Front 782

軽

Back 782

Lightly (717)

Hint 782

Here you come to a chasm where the only way across is a frail-looking 2-rope bridge. in order to go LIGHTLY across the 2-rope bridge, you get out of your CAR and log roll across on a SPOOL instead.

Front 783

叔

Back 783

Uncle (718)

Hint 783

My uncle may be someone I should look up to ABOVE people not related to me by blood, but really, I can't because he's such a LITTLE CROTCH.

Front 784

督

Back 784

Coach (719)

Hint 784

A COACH can either be an UNCLE-like entity, keeping an EYE on you, or a LITTLE CROTCH who EYEs your body and thinks of himself as "ABOVE" you.

Front 785

寂

Back 785

Loneliness (720)

Hint 785

I wonder if my UNCLE is feeling a sense of LONELINESS in his HOUSE since his wife got a job and moved out, or if he is actually happy about the fact and feigns LONELINESS when she calls and visits.

Front 786

淑

Back 786

Graceful (721)

Hint 786

The only way my UNCLE can be GRACEFUL is when is floating in a pool of WATER and is physically unable to be unGRACEFUL.

Front 787

反

Back 787

anti- (722)

Hint 787

An infamous ANTI-virginity rite of passage is the act of taking your favorite CROTCH to a "romantic" makeout spot, such as a CLIFF overlooking a sparkly town.

Front 788

坂

Back 788

Slope (723)

Hint 788

A SLOPE is when the level of the GROUND is negative, that is, the SLOPE of the GROUND is ANT-level.

Front 789

板

Back 789

Plank (724)

Hint 789

A PLANK is a processed, dead form of a TREE; really, a PLANK is essentially the ANTIthesis of the vibrant, living symbol that TREEs are taken for.

Front 790

返

Back 790

Return (725)

Hint 790

To RETURN is the ANTI-decision to hitting the ROAD.

Front 791

販

Back 791

Marketing (726)

Hint 791

Here we see a MARKETING campaign for a company trying to sell pretty sea-SHELLS, claiming that they have ANTI-fattening powers. Quite possibly the most exhausted MARKETING scheme ever.

Front 792

爪

Back 792

Claw (727)

Hint 792

This character is a pictograph of a bird's CLAW, and from there comes to mean animal CLAWS in general (including human fingernails).
PRIM: VULTURE. It can be placed on top of kanji and when it does it takes the form as seen in 妥。

Front 793

妥

Back 793

Gentle (728)

Hint 793

Even the most GENTLE WOMAN has a VULTURE-like nature hidden away inside that is ready to come out when that WOMAN is scorned by the one she loves.

Front 794

Primitive:

Back 794

Fledgling (pg. 242)

Hint 794

The VULTURE and CHILD combine to create the image of an aerie full of FLEDGLINGS.

Front 795

乳

Back 795

Milk (729)

Hint 795

Here we see a clever predator offering nipples of MILK to FLEDGLINGS, little do they know the nipples actually hide HOOKs ready to catch them.

Front 796

浮

Back 796

Floating (730)

Hint 796

Thinking of FLOATING FLEDGLINGS automatically calls to mind FLEDGLING ducklings FLOATING on the WATER. How adorable!

Front 797

将

Back 797

leader (731)

Hint 797

The LEADER of the ninja TURTLES has placed GLUE beneath the evil VULTURE creature's walking path and thereby made it simple to defeat him! Clever Leonardo!

Front 798

奨

Back 798

Exhort (732)

Hint 798

The LEADER of the GROUP could not get his crew to obey, so he used a ST. BERNARD DOG as intimidation to EXHORT order from his minions.

Front 799

採

Back 799

Pick (733)

Hint 799

Unlike "Pick up", this character is used for PICKING fruit from TREES. --- There's a mythical TREE that has fruit granting eternal life, but legend has it that a VULTURE will bite off your FINGERS if you dare try to PICK one.

Front 800

Primitive:

Back 800

Birdhouse (pg.243)

Hint 800

The CLAW and CROWN of the roof of a house (whose chimney is displaced by the CLAW) combine to give us a BIRDHOUSE.

Front 801

菜

Back 801

Vegetable (734)

Hint 801

Here is a curious set-up: We see the pretty FLOWERS here which will become VEGETABLES in time under careful watch of a vegan VULTURE just waiting happily in a TREE for that time to come.

Front 802

受

Back 802

Accept (735)

Hint 802

You will either ACCEPT that I'm getting a BIRDHOUSE or you won't be getting any of this CROTCH. So there!

Front 803

授

Back 803

Impart (736)

Hint 803

A person who can ACCEPT their limitations and acknowledge the extent of what their FINGERS can do are best suited to IMPARTING their wisdom to others.

Front 804

愛

Back 804

Love (737)

Hint 804

Because Jasmine wanted freedom she freed birds from their BIRDHOUSE, found her HEART beat for Aladdin, and decided to use her WALKING LEGS to do what she wanted from then on, all for LOVE.

Front 805

Primitive:

Back 805

Elbow (pg. 244)

Hint 805

This pictograph of an arm bent at the ELBOW is obvious.

Front 806

払

Back 806

Pay (738)

Hint 806

Here we see the FINGERS of a mobster holding a hammer over the ELBOW of someone who refused to PAY his

Front 807

広

Back 807

Wide (739)

Front 808

拡

Back 808

Broaden (740)

Hint 808

Think of FINGERS BROADENING the WIDENESS of the pizza sauce on flattened dough to BROADEN the area covered.

Front 809

鉱

Back 809

Mineral (741)

Hint 809

MINERALS are common METALS found far and WIDE and are WIDELY known to be quite lovely.

Front 810

弁

Back 810

Valve (742)

Hint 810

Here we see the desperate efforts of two submariners attempting to shut off an all-important VALVE on their submarine that is broken and causing the sub to take on water. One submariner is using his bent arm (ELBOW) to apply pressure while his shipmate uses his TWO HANDS to try and shut the stuck VALVE.

Front 811

雄

Back 811

Masculine (743)

Hint 811

What makes a human masculine? The fact that his lady stands BY HIS SIDE holding to him by the crook of his ELBOW and of course, the TURKEY in his pants. ~~ Think about it, fat and round at the bottom, with a long skinny neck and a head up top. Sure reminds you of a turkey now, doesn't it? ;-p

Front 812

台

Back 812

Pedestal (744)

Hint 812

What we see here is a depiction of how people end up placed upon a PEDESTAL, the fact is that they get there by using other people. This is a literal depiction of it where the one on the PEDESTAL is reclining upon his ELBOW which is actually braced upon the person who helped him get there, bent over on all fours, himself acting as a PEDESTAL! See his MOUTH agape and hollering in indignation at the fact that his partner enjoys all the credit while he is just a lowly PEDESTAL.

Front 813

怠

Back 813

Neglect (745)

Hint 813

This kanji has us return to our image for PEDESTAL: the one on the PEDESTAL, leaning on his ELBOW as his former partner is shortchanged and acts as his PEDESTAL on all fours, MOUTH sputtering protests. This kanji goes one step further, however, and shows how the poor man, the PEDESTAL, below feels. You can see the HEART below the protesting MOUTH here, declaring how he has been NEGLECTED and how his partner has NEGLECTED to confess that his elated work was actually not all his doing!

Front 814

治

Back 814

Reign (746)

Hint 814

What figure has had the longest REIGN over people? Likely that fictitious figure people refer to as "Jesus" who gained popularity for the myth where he walked upon WATER and afterwards was placed upon a PEDESTAL as "king of kings." So we see how walking upon WATER and being placed upon a PEDESTAL can lead to a character REIGNING over hearts and imaginations for thousands of years, so much so that people began to believe him a real person who went to a secret place in the sky to continue REIGNING over man forevermore, no doubt the longest REIGN anyone can lay claim too.

Front 815

始

Back 815

Commence (747)

Hint 815

Before any WOMAN starts a new week, she wants to start it with a bit of pampering. So the WOMAN goes to a spa where she is placed upon a PEDESTAL by other WOMEN who right that moment COMMENCE her pedicure so that as soon as she steps off the PEDESTAL she can COMMENCE with her week feeling like a new WOMAN.

Front 816

胎

Back 816

Womb (748)

Hint 816

Well, this is simple. The PART OF THE BODY that is often put on a PEDESTAL is the WOMB. Why? Because it is what hold offspring and the general populace is often obsessed with them to he detriment of adults such that abortions become contriversial when in fact, the WOMB and what goes on inside it is just an organ and not really more important the loss of a limb. --Another way to remember is that as the MOON cycles it affects the WOMB in such a way that it makes females want to ELBOW other people in the MOUTH in a very violent way.

Front 817

窓

Back 817

Window (749)

Hint 817

In a HOUSE we see an amorous couple standing upon HUMAN LEGS, ELBOWS locked together, their HEARTS all warm and fuzzy as they look out of their WINDOW at the beautiful view.

Front 818

去

Back 818

Gone (750)

Hint 818

This kanji shows a new take on "burying the hatchet." Instead, it has become "Burying the ELBOW." As we see the ELBOW buried has become "Burying the ELBOW." As we see here, someone has GONE and buried the ELBOW, literally, beneath the SOIL so that whomever was feuding can let "ByGONES be byGONES."

Front 819

法

Back 819

Method (751)

Hint 819

This kanji shows the mafia's favorite METHOD for making sure unfavorable people get GONE: giving them cement shoes and tossing them into a body of WATER until they are total GONErs. This very METHODical practice creates an excellect METHOD for making GONErs "sleep with the fishes."

Front 820

Primitive:

Back 820

Wall (pg. 246)

Hint 820

The ELBOW hanging under a CEILING is our element for WALL.

Front 821

会

Back 821

meeting (752)

Hint 821

This is the full character for MEETING from which the abbreviated primitive gets its name. ---Is there any MEETING more painful than strolling along, unawares, and MEETING a brick WALL at full speed? Even worse if you should MEET a WALL in a vehicle!

Front 822

至

Back 822

Climax (753)

Hint 822

The key word allows for the full variety of connotations: to peak, to arrive at the end, and the like. --- Everyone, when starting a journey toward a goal, feels like they are standing on the EARTH looking up an insurmountable mountain, at the top of which is the CLIMAX, the goal, which they desperately seek. And no doubt, there will also be at least one discernable WALL up there along the way between where you stand on the SOIL and that CLIMAX so far up there beyond that damnable WALL.

Front 823

室

Back 823

Room (754)

Hint 823

This pervy little kanji has us peaking into somebody's ROOM where lovers have just reached their CLIMAX so loud they've woken the entire HOUSEhold.

Front 824

到

Back 824

Arrival (755)

Hint 824

Isn't wierd how people scream "I'm coming" during sex? (ignore the pun of cumming for the sake of memorization here). Well, this kanji shows the story of a vindicative woman who discovered her lover was cheating on her, and as revenge she took her lover one last time. And as a sick joke she planned to get her revenge at his "ARRIVAL." After screaming "I'm coming" at his CLIMAX, the woman new it was the ARRIVAL of the perfect timing, she pulled her prepared SABER from beneath the pillow and made quick work of him. As soon as she did though, she called 911 out of remorse, but when the ambulance got to the hospital, he was dead on ARRIVAL.

Front 825

致

Back 825

Doth (756)

Hint 825

The archaic English form for "does" indicates a humble form of the verb "to do." ---- This Kanji calls to mind that Shakespearean quote "Come, the croaking raven DOTH bellow for revenge!" Why is that? Well, obviously it is becaue a TASKMASTER has interupted his pupil in the CLIMAX of his first lovemaking session and cast the woman out with a tirade of shameful accusations! What else DOTH the interuptions of TASKMASTER in a CLIMAX call for but revenge?

Front 826

互

Back 826

Mutually (757)

Hint 826

When you draw this character think of linking two WALLS together, one right side up and the other upside down.

Front 827

Primitive:

Back 827

Infant (pg. 247)

Hint 827

This primitive can be seen as an abbreviation of the full primitive for CHILD, the second stroke dividing the head from the body much as it does in 子　and the other strokes condensing the long form so that it can be used atop its relative primitive.We change the meaning to INFANT to facilitate keeping the full form and its abbreviation distinct.

Front 828

棄

Back 828

Abandon (758)

Hint 828

Here we see a horrible seen where a parent has ABANDONED all hope in life and is careening in a vehicle with reckless ABANDON (see the INFANT in the back seat with its unBUCKLEd seatbelt laying useless beside it) toward a giant, sturdy TREE. If only the parent had opted instead to ABANDON its INFANT by safely BUCKLING it into a hanging bassinet from a TREE branch for someone to find and care for at least one of them may have gone on to survive.

Front 829

育

Back 829

Bring up (759)

Hint 829

Since the keyword has to do with raising children to be strong both in mind and body, it is easy to coordinate the primitive elements: Here we see the product of an INFANT BROUGHT UP properly: the INFANT stands supports on top of her adult FLESH so that the PART OF THE BODY that has come into its own can now go on to create its own INFANT for the parent to BRING UP.

Front 830

撤

Back 830

Remove (760)

Hint 830

Here we see a most fearsome ninja TASKMASTER, who has made it his teaching style (and way to BRING UP children into effective ninjas) to send his stolen children out to steal as training. If they fail or are caught, they know well that the punishment is that the TASKMASTER will REMOVE their FINGERS. A very effective method for weeding out those not skilled enough to be ninjas, after all you can only have so many FINGERS REMOVED until you can no longer be properly BROUGHT UP into a ninja, so those who have too many FINGERS REMOVED are dealt a swift death by ninja sword.

Front 831

充

Back 831

Allot (761)

Hint 831

In general ecology and biology we are taught that the size of a litter (that is, the number of INFANTS) a species can produce is directly linked with the amount of energy a species ALLOTS toward reproduction and care of the INFANTS after birth. This is why humans typically have 1, maybe 2, children at a time. Humans ALLOT vast amounts of energy and resources to reproduction and care of the INFANT, which is no surpise considering the amount of pain and sacrifice involved in pushing an INFANT out from between HUMAN LEGS.

Front 832

銃

Back 832

Gun (762)

Hint 832

Any thug who chooses to use a GUN in a crime better ALLOT time in his future to spend behind METAL bars. Every gun leaves an identifiable imprint in the METAL of the bullet, so anyone stupid enough to use it is as a murder weapon is ALLOTTING too much faith in weaponry and is just GUNNING for a prison sentence.

Front 833

硫

Back 833

Sulfur (763)

Hint 833

This kanji shows an unfortunate incident where an INFANT was aloud to crawl on the ground, with no one to watch him carefully. He, like all babies do, picked up a ROCK unsuspectingly and nommed on it. Unfortunately, the ROCK was a ROCK of SULFUR and the baby was poisoned, causing a FLOOD of sympathetic well-wishers to send their regards for the BABY that nommed a ROCK of SULFUR and garnered a FLOOD of remorseful well-wishers for its parents.

Front 834

流

Back 834

Current (764)

Hint 834

It isn't often a seasoned outdoorsmen underestimates a few DROPS of rain WATER and goes for a swim in the creek, but this poor soul did and those few DROPS of rain WATER have turned violent and made that creek into a torrential FLOOD with immensely strong CURRENTS that toss him around as if he were no more than an INFANT.

Front 835

允

Back 835

license (765)

Hint 835

As anybody who has ever tried to get a LICENSE of any kind (whether driver's LICENSE, boating, motorcycle, or other LICENSE) before knows, its a real hassel that typically involves fulfilling numerous menial requirements and standing in line for hours. No wonder the kanji for LICENSE shows the two things you need most: ELBOW grease and a strong pair of HUMAN LEGS to stand on for hours. --You could also take another view here an picture someone who has to literally fight for his LICENSE to speak in a tyranical country: hence, the jabbing ELBOWs and kicking HUMAN LEGS.

Front 836

出

Back 836

exit (767)

Hint 836

The kanji for EXIT pictures a series of mountain peaks coming out of the EARTH.

Front 837

山

Back 837

Mounain (768)

Hint 837

A pictographical drawing of the peaks of MOUNTAINS.

Front 838

拙

Back 838

Bungling (769)

Hint 838

This calls to mind P's greatest BUNGLING moment, having placed his FINGERS in the EXIT of the body and not the entrance without realizing it...that is, in the BUNGhole. lol. Never before has BUNGLING moment caused FINGERS to EXIT an orifice so quickly!

Front 839

岩

Back 839

Boulder (770)

Hint 839

Call to mind the hike I made up the MOUNTAIN called "enchanted ROCK." It's kind of a misnomer, isn't it? After all the MOUNTAIN was essentially one giant BOULDER with even more large BOULDERs strewn about it. Even the ROCKS probably just chipped off the BOULDERS of the MOUNTAIN and weren't separate materials themselves.

Front 840

炭

Back 840

Charcoal (771)

Hint 840

The kanji for CHARCOAL shows the lifespan of a CHARCOAL, from it's origins in the MOUTAINS, where it is found and collected, to its usage to burn in a FIREplace, and finally to be dumped off a CIFF on the very MOUNTAIN it came from, as nothing but ASHES.

Front 841

岐

Back 841

Branch off (772)

Hint 841

A poor lost hiker went into the MOUNTAINS to see what he could see, the road BRANCHED OFF into three. He took the one less traveled by and now he sleeps on the BRANCH of a tree.

Front 842

峠

Back 842

Mountain Peak (773)

Hint 842

Is there any more majestic view than that offered at a MOUNTAIN PEAK such as we saw from our hike in TX? We were able to see, very easily, the hawks playing on the wind ABOVE, and the vast lay of the scenery BELOW.

Front 843

崩

Back 843

Crumble (774)

Hint 843

If you were stranded, lost on top of a huge MOUNTAIN, who do you think would CRUMBLE under the pressure of starvation first? You or your COMPANION?

Front 844

密

Back 844

Secrecy (775)

Hint 844

The truest of all reasons why something INVARIABLY comes between me leaving the misery of my HOUSE and going on adventurous hikes in the MOUNTAINS is kept in the deepest SECRECIES of my soul. If I could discern the truth behind the SECRECY, after all, I would have no hesitation and would boldly leave my HOUSE for adventure in the MOUNTAINS and elsewhere.

Front 845

蜜

Back 845

Honey (776)

Hint 845

It is INVARIABLY true that the seemingly unregulated construction of buildings like HOUSES affects INSECTS, which affects people negatively because it affects the production of HONEY. Then again, perhaps you INVARIABLY find INSECTS in your HOME specifically because they're in search of the sticky, sweet HONEY in your cubboard.

Front 846

嵐

Back 846

Storm (777)

Hint 846

Notice the size differnces in the elements here, I think its trying to show us that we are looking at the true perfect STORM by showing the gargantuan size of the WINDS with relation to the MOUNAIN we see just off in the distance there.

Front 847

崎

Back 847

Promontory (778)

Hint 847

This should be easily distnguished from the kanji for cape because this kanji refers to that STRANGE and creepy PROMONTORY that jutted out into sea like a MOUNAINous outcropping in the movie "The Ring" where there stood a STRANGE woman before jumping off the PROMONTORY into the sea.

Front 848

入

Back 848

Enter (779)

Hint 848

This character is meant to be a picture of someone walking leftwards, putting one leg forward in order to ENTER someplace. Since the "in" side of a character is the left, it should be easy to remember the writing of this character. (i.e. small left stroke first, then longer right stroke)
PRIM: meaning of keyword expanded to include: TO GO IN, TO PUT IN, TO COME IN, and the like. It generally appears atop its relative primitive, where unlike the element for umbrella, the two strokes do not touch each other, making it virtually the same as the kanji for 8. When it appears in any other position, however, it retains its original form.

Front 849

込

Back 849

Crowded (780)

Hint 849

Let the keyword "crowded" call to mind that singular scene that every epic movie has in common, particularly alien invasion movies, war movies, and infectious outbreak movies: the scene where CROWDS and CROWDS of people attempt en masse to flee a dangerous place and ENTER another. With almost no exceptions, the scene shows a large ROAD CROWDED with bumper to bumper cars and lots of people running and trying desperately to ENTER a safe zone. To remember this portrayal of crowded best, picture what becomes of that CROWDED ROAD if those people are not permitted to ENTER the safe zone.

Front 850

分

Back 850

Part (781)

Hint 850

the kanji for PART calls to mind that unforgettable reveal scene from the horror flick "Scream" where it is shown there are in fact 2 killers and their identities. In the scene, one killer is meant to jam PART of his DAGGER only PART way into his friend the second killer (who had also been a PART of the plan all along), but instead forces the DAGGER to GO IN "too deep" imperiling his co-conspirator.

Front 851

貧

Back 851

Poverty (782)

Hint 851

When you think of anyone in POVERTY its simple enough to know that anybody who's every felt IMPOVRISHED has looked at the SHELLS in posession of others and wished they could have even a PART or portion of those SHELLS to get by with. For a famous example, think of the rapper Eminem who, when rapping about his experience with POVERTY and how people view his bitching about it now, said "That poor little white bastard need to take some of that cash(SHELLS) out that bank and take a bath in it. If only I had half(PART) of it."

Front 852

頒

Back 852

Partition (783)

Hint 852

PARTITION means to divide up, especially with reference to government workings. So lets have the kanji for PARTITION call to mind the fable where two women laid claim to a baby and brought it before the king. He declared that the baby be cut in twain and one woman given the PART with the HEAD and the other woman the remainder. Only because one woman couldn't bare to see this occur did the baby escape being PARTITIONED into a PART with a HEAD and a PART without!

Front 853

公

Back 853

Public (784)

Hint 853

Let's think here of a grand affair, that many people would just love to attend, which was open to only a select few elite people. Only to find out the next day this grand affair, lets say for example the wedding of Britain's rulers, was made into a PUBLIC affair. One can only imagine the rush of GOING IN to the church to secure a spot. Probably so many people that everyone had to be, quite literally, ELBOW to ELBOW with each other. So,as we see, things open to the PUBLIC can cause a mad dash of people COMING IN and rubbing ELBOWS with each other.

Front 854

松

Back 854

Pine tree (785)

Hint 854

If any TREE could represent something PUBLIC for all to enjoy it is the ubiquitous PINE TREE that is found just about anywhere you look in the south. PINE TREES are pretty much the most easily, PUBLICLY enjoyable thing, especially of TREES, to look at in existance in this climate zone.

Front 855

翁

Back 855

Venerable old man (786)

Hint 855

If this kanji and keyword call anything to mind its the story "The Very OLD MAN with Enormous Wings." A sort of sad tale about a certainly VENERABLE OLD MAN with FEATHERS upon FEATHERY wings who finds himself as having become nothing more than a PUBLIC spectacle, to be ridiculed PUBLICLY about his FEATHERS.

Front 856

訟

Back 856

Sue (787)

Hint 856

Well, this pair of elements certainly lends itself to the keyword SUE. If any WORDS are ubiquitous in the states these days it is certainly litigous ones. Seems like everyday now you read in PUBLIC venues like news articles that someone or other is SUING some PUBLIC figure or company (like mcdonalds) for frivolous reasons expounded on in ranting WORDS.

Front 857

谷

Back 857

Valley (788)

Hint 857

Because of space restrictions, the element for GO IN is shortened in this character. If you stand on your head and look at this kanji, the image of a VALLEY stands out more clearly: the MOUTH of the river whose water flows down at the intersection of the two mountains, with the final two strokes adding the element of perspective.

Front 858

浴

Back 858

Bathe (789)

Hint 858

Let's suppose that the kanji for BATHE came from a time prior to when bathtubs were created. The obvious way people BATHED was going down into a river in VALLEY and splashing around in the WATER till DROPLETS OF WATER ran down the flesh and BATHED it clean.

Front 859

容

Back 859

Contain (790)

Hint 859

This kanji shows a HOUSE so large that it can CONTAIN an entire VALLEY.

Front 860

溶

Back 860

Melt (791)

Hint 860

It seems an intuitive idea that if any substance possesses the ability to MELT, it must CONTAIN at least a few DROPS OF WATER.

Front 861

欲

Back 861

Longing (792)

Hint 861

Has anything every incited more stares of LONGING in a lustful man than the sight of a nude woman arching her back in a feminine YAWN, all her crests and VALLEYS exposed?

Front 862

裕

Back 862

Abundant (793)

Hint 862

This character shows the typical CLOAK of simple VALLEY folk, which, unlike the tailor-made, high-fashion overcoats of city folk, is loose-fitting and free-form, to the point where the one wearing it is almost swimming in the ABUNDANT cloth. Hence the keyword's meaning ABUNDANT.

Front 863

Primitive:

Back 863

Gully (pg. 254)

Hint 863

As an abbreviation of the kanji for a VALLEY, this primitive gets its meaning as a small valley or GULLY.

Front 864

鉛

Back 864

Lead (Metal) (794)

Hint 864

What this kanji shows is a GULLY, no doubt, but a peculiar one where the river that has worn it out is actually a river of METAL. Liquid LEAD metal, to be exact, though you don't realize it till you've gotten quite close since it is a bluish colored metal. Imagine Strolling through this GULLY, simply parched, coming upon this river and reaching ravenously down to drink only to realize too late that it is in fact METAL: LEAD METAL to be exact.

Front 865

沿

Back 865

Run Alongside (795)

Hint 865

The key word is meant to refer to things like rivers and railway tracks that RUN ALONGSIDE something else. --- Here, we see a craftsman, beside its creation and the method by which it made it: that is, we see how a few seemingly measly DROPS OF WATER came together to form a creek that came to RUN ALONGSIDE a pathway, leading many years down the road to a magnificent and fertile GULLY.

Front 866

Primitive:

Back 866

Outhouse

Hint 866

The combination of the element for LITTLE, the basic "roof" structure here (in which the chimney has been replaced, as it was in the element for BIRDHOUSE), combined with the "window" (MOUTH) below, gives us this element its meaning of OUTHOUSE.

Front 867

賞

Back 867

Prize (796)

Hint 867

In the country fair there are lots of country competitions such as hotdog eating contests and pie competitions. This here is no ordinary fair though, this is a hillbilly fair and the most competitive competition is to see who has the best decorated OUTHOUSE. The PRIZE? Why, fancy SHELLS will which to wipe a hillbilly's ass. It's not like they use toilet paper! --- So remember, the PRIZE for the best OUTHOUSE is SHELLS to go in the OUTHOUSE to wipe asses with.

Front 868

党

Back 868

Party (797)

Hint 868

Think of this key word as referring to a political PARTY, not a gala affair. ---- Well, since this represents a political PARTY, it's simple enough here to see what this kanji is: a pictograph of the individuals who align themselves with "traditional political PARTIES:" that is, they're full of shit: hence, the OUTHOUSE walking along on a pair of HUMAN LEGS.

Front 869

堂

Back 869

Public Chamber (798)

Hint 869

Well, here we see a porcelain throne that sits in a PUBLIC CHAMBER. Obviously, it is one of those infamous port-o-potties, that is, a modernized mobile OUTHOUSE, placed on a DIRTy spit of LAND near an exciting event for use as a PUBLIC CHAMBER.

Front 870

常

Back 870

Usual (799)

Hint 870

This OUTHOUSE is anything but the USUAL dirty, wooden OUTHOUSE we'd picture. This OUTHOUSE is kept by a lady, and in the USUAL fashion of a lady she has declared that no one may use the OUTHOUSE unless he or she is immacculately scrubbed clean first, and even then, they may only enter the OUTHOUSE clothed in the clean TOWEL they used to dry themselves with to prevent dirtying the OUTHOUSE.

Front 871

裳

Back 871

Skirt (800)

Hint 871

This refers to an ancient skirt used as part of a woman's costume. --- What the book doesn't say is that the layers above this SKIRT were too numerous to remove for the call of nature, so the whole purpose of this SKIRT was to wipe with when the woman needed to use the OUTHOUSE. Not a very hygeinic practice, but better the underGARMENT than the visible clothing.

Front 872

掌

Back 872

Manipulate (801)

Hint 872

Well, this kanji is appropriately constructed for the feelings one gets when one thinks about having been MANIPULATED or of people who MANIPULATE others: its like MANIPULATER grabbed a HANDful of poo from a revolting OUTHOUSE and smeared it over everything it touches with its MANIPULATION.

Front 873

皮

Back 873

Pelt (802)

Hint 873

The simplest way to remember this character is to see it as built up from that for BRANCH. The first stroke can then stand for something "hanging" down from the BRANCH namely its bark or PELT. The barb at the end of the second stroke is the only other change, which may represent the protective measure (thorns perhaps) that the BRANCH employs to protect its PELT and sweet sap.

Front 874

波

Back 874

Waves (803)

Hint 874

If you think about it, if WATER had a PELT, it would no doubt be the WAVES, whether riplets for DROPS OF WATER, or full blown WAVES.

Front 875

婆

Back 875

Old woman (804)

Hint 875

Here we see a cultural practice of how inuit and "utopic" societies deal with an OLD WOMAN, they take the WOMAN and set her adrift, knowing it to be only a matter of time before the WOMAN sinks beneath the WAVES.

Front 876

披

Back 876

Expose (805)

Hint 876

Well, we can only imagine what is being EXPOSED here as FINGERS pull back a PELT. Could it be a randy woman's FINGERs drawing aside the PELT sitting on her lover's hips to EXPOSE him fully? Or perhaps the FINGERS of a hunter forcing aside the PELT of his fresh kill to EXPOSE the heart which he must now eat, as is custom in some tribes?

Front 877

破

Back 877

Rend (806)

Hint 877

This kanji goes all the way back to the caveman era when the only thing that needed RENDING was the PELTS from prey. Obviously, this was during the time when tools were first being used and we see here in this kanji the caveman's use of a sharpened ROCK to REND the PELT from his latest kill more deftly than he ever could without it. Just picture him coming home victorious with his cleanly trimmed PELT and sharpened ROCK to show his cavemates, who then make him their leader.

Front 878

被

Back 878

Incur (807)

Hint 878

This kanji shows a man's attempt at earning money to pay back the massive debts he INCURRED with the local loan shark for money to buy the medicine needed to save his mom's life. See him standing in the square selling PELTS to anyone who'll buy them, while wearing one himself that he's fashioned into a CLOAK. It is essentially all he possesses since he INCURRED such an awful debt.

Front 879

Primitive:

Back 879

Bone (pg. 257)

Hint 879

This character is meant to be a BONE attached to a piece of flesh (or vice versa). The first stroke serves to keep it distinct from the character for EVENING.

Front 880

残

Back 880

Remainder (808)

Hint 880

Here we see the BONES (wooden skeleton) of a Mardis Gras FLOAT, the sole REMAINDER of the festivities.

Front 881

殉

Back 881

Martyrdom ( 809)

Hint 881

This kanji seems specifically written to symbolize the MARTYRDOM of Joan of Arc, who only gained her MARTYRDOM after she delivered Orleans from English invasion in a DECAMERON (10 days) and was burned until she remained as nothing by BONES.

Front 882

殊

Back 882

Particularly (810)

Hint 882

I'm not PARTICULARLY PARTICULAR about what color BONES should be, but I daresay that VERMILLION BONES are PARTICULARLY unusual. Perhaps so PARTICULARLY unusual that we should gather these VERMILION BONES and see if the local jewelry crafter may have interest in them.

Front 883

殖

Back 883

Augment (811)

Hint 883

If we intend to AUGMENT our collection of STRAIGHTAWAYS we certainly can add to it a collection of BONES like femurs.

Front 884

列

Back 884

File (812)

Hint 884

The sense of this keyword is of people or things lined up in a row. --- Maybe so, but lets also use its other meaning. Here we see a craftsman who has lined BONES up single FILE to be FILED down with a SABER to be made into a FILED BONE necklace by lacing them up single FILE on a string cut to length by the SABER.

Front 885

裂

Back 885

Split (813)

Hint 885

here a knight has SPLIT his opponent in twain by slicing his SABER clear through his opponents protective GARMENTS (armor) and straight through his BONES too!

Front 886

烈

Back 886

Ardent (814)

Hint 886

Could anything make anyone more ARDENT than the sight and smell of a christmas ham roasting over an OVEN FIRE, and the succulent slices being carved by a SABER right off the BONE to lay in a juicy FILE on a platter?

Front 887

死

Back 887

Death (815)

Hint 887

Note how the first stroke is extended to the right, forming a sort of "roof" overhead.--- Here we see the traditional characterisation of DEATH as an animate personage of BONEs, slinking up behind his unsuspecting victim whom is sipping soup from a SPOON, unawares that it is poisoned.

Front 888

葬

Back 888

Interment (816)

Hint 888

An INTERMENT is the laying of a dead body into the ground/grave, so is it any wonder the kanji is so morbid? It is the same for most people world over, If you find out a loved one about to go through INTERMENT you may as well buy FLOWERS and assume they have or soon will meet their DEATH, no matter how you may put your TWO HANDS together to pray for their life to be spared.

Front 889

Primitive:

Back 889

Sunglasses (pg. 258)

Hint 889

These two elements are actually the full form whose abbreviation we learned as the character for MEASURING BOX. To the left, we see the shape of EVENING, and to the right a completely new shape. The meaning we have assigned, SUNGLASSES, is entirely arbitrary.

Front 890

瞬

Back 890

wink (817)

Hint 890

Let's think here of Rip van WINKle, and the challenge he put forth to the princess to use only her EYES in a cluttered room to find WINKle's hidden SUNGLASSES. Little does the princess know it to be a trick. The Rip van WINKle's SUNGLASSES are hidden beneathe the BIRDCAGE in the room, and could not be found using just her EYEs.

Front 891

耳

Back 891

Ear (818)

Hint 891

The pictograph for the EAR looks much like that for EYE, but note how the stroke order gives it a different look.

Front 892

取

Back 892

Take (819)

Hint 892

Think here of the song lyrics "cowboy, TAKE me away," what does every girl want her cowboy to have before he TAKES here away? Why, a pair of open EARS to listen to her talk and an impressive package in the CROTCH, of course. Therefore, you must have good listening skills, EARS, and a good package, CROTCH, to TAKE a girl because she is TAKEN with you.

Front 893

趣

Back 893

Gist (820)

Hint 893

To get the GIST of something is to do a quick RUN through of whats going on, and TAKE away from it a summary understand, that is the GIST, of the whole iea.

Front 894

最

Back 894

Utmost (821)

Hint 894

To truely do one's UTMOST at one's job it TAKES all one's energy and focus under the SUN for a solid day. Notice here that the first stroke of ear in TAKE extends over the CROTCH.

Front 895

撮

Back 895

Snapshot (822)

Hint 895

To take a brilliant SNAPSHOT requires scenery of the UTMOST beauty and a deft set of FINGERS to take the SNAPSHOT at just the perfect time.

Front 896

恥

Back 896

Shame (823)

Hint 896

It is rare to have the HEART at the right and not at the bottom. Take advantage of this when you make your story. --- Though shame typically dwells deep down inside ones HEART, the worst experience of SHAME is when the reason for the secret becomes to much to bear, the HEART leaps up into one's throat and spills out into the EAR of a listener, bringing judgement and still more SHAME.

Front 897

職

Back 897

Post (824)

Hint 897

The key word refers to one's occupation, or position of employment. ---- Let's picture here a Japanese salary man who is very excited on his first day to start his new POST. But it is no more than a few hours into Day 1 that his EARS are filled with an awful noise: the sound of his co-worker in the next cubicle playing his KAZOO. Picture poor takamata, trying desperately to like his new POST despite his EARS being filled for hours on end with the noise of the nearby KAZOO. Finally, his EARS can no longer handle the KAZOO buzzes and Takamata finally loses his POST after going POSTAL and jamming that KAZOO into his neighbor's EARS.

Front 898

聖

Back 898

Holy (825)

Hint 898

Here a KING sits upon his throne, trying to judge the two HOLY men before him to decide who the new bishop shall be. The KING notes to himself the man to the left has laughably large EARS, and comically, is the one of the two that truely listens as a wise HOLY man should, while the HOLY man to the right has a MOUTH with clown-like lips who spills speeches of brimstone and fire like a HOLY tyrant. Which do you think the KING will choose for as counsel for HOLY matters? The EARs or the MOUTH?

Front 899

敢

Back 899

Daring (826)

Hint 899

This kanji commemorates the story of how a TASKMASTER drove a SPIKE into one EAR of his student who DARED to not listen to his commands; and the DARING attempt at vengeance that same student took to sneak into the TASKMASTER's bedchambers that night to drive a NAIL into his EAR as he slept in retribution.

Front 900

聴

Back 900

Listen (827)

Hint 900

This kanji is easy to remember because the easiest thing to LISTEN to, because you're really interested in it, is somebody's juicy story or secret. So this kanji shows us what we need to LISTEN: lending an EAR and then swearing we'll never tell anyone with the old spell: "cross my HEART and hope to die, stick a NEEDLE in my EYE."

Front 901

懐

Back 901

Pocket (828)

Hint 901

It's is the POCKETS of our favorite Buckle jeans that give us an insight into the STATE OF MIND the designer must've had when he began to prepare the EYE of the NEEDLE to create the GARMENT. After all, the designs on the POCKET are almost the only thing that makes them look different. Therefore, the POCKET of the GARMENT tells us the STATE OF MIND behind the work done by the thread in the EYE of the NEEDLE.

Front 902

Primitive:

Back 902

Mandala (pg. 260)

Hint 902

A MANDALA is an intricate representation of the universe in Buddhist/Hindu belief systems. Is it any wonder then, that this primitive shows the SUN, the "master" of the universe, an EYE with which we percieve the universe, and finally, the CROTCH which gives forth life to the universe.

Front 903

慢

Back 903

Ridicule (829)

Hint 903

The buddhist believe a peaceful STATE OF MIND can be achieved through the practice of creating intricate MANDALAs; and a great example of how this is a useful practice is the way that a person can conquer the emotional turmoil that spawns from RIDICULE. So a wise, strong, and peaceful person who is subjected to RIDICULE can still find a peaceful STATE OF MIND from focusing himself by creating MANDALAS.

Front 904

漫

Back 904

Loose (830)

Hint 904

The product of a pipe fitting coming LOOSE is the spray of fine WATER DROPLETS into the air, creating a MANDALA of color thanks to the glare of sunlight behind it.

Front 905

買

Back 905

Buy (831)

Hint 905

Well, obviously, if there is something that has caught your EYE, you're going to fork out the SHELLS to BUY it.

Front 906

Primitive:

Back 906

Wheat (pg. 270)

Hint 906

This primitive element will be made to stand for WHEAT. It connotes a special grian, more expensive than ordinary rice and so reserved for special occassions. Altrenatively, it cna mean CEREAL. Its form is like that for TREE, except for the DOT at the top to represent a spike of WHEAT blowing in the wind.

Front 907

Primitive:

Back 907

Assembly Line (pg. 289)

Hint 907

The duplication of the kanji for PERSON gives us the primitive for ASSEMBLY LINE. Perhaps you can imagine clones of your chosen PERSON rolling off an assembly line in a factory.

Front 908

Primitive:

Back 908

Plow (pg290)

Hint 908

pictograph of a plow

Front 909

Primitive:

Back 909

Puzzle (pg. 291)

Hint 909

Think of this element as a picture PUZZLE in which the pieces interlock.

Front 910

Primitive:

Back 910

Shredder (pg. 293)

Hint 910

This element on the left looks like rice with a belt running through it. Better to remember it by its written order though: little, belt, little. Then taskmaster.

Front 911

Primitive:

Back 911

Banner (pg. 294)

Hint 911

Here's a unique enclosure made of COMPASS and RECLINING. Think of the BANNER as a standard for rallying around; then imagine a crowd RECLINING around a COMPASS (presumably meant to give them a direction in life)

Front 912

Primtive:

Back 912

Flag (pg. 296)

Hint 912

The pictographic rep of a flag. May want to use your own national flag when using it in stories.

Front 913

Pimitive:

Back 913

Saw (pg. 310)

Hint 913

The SAW in this primitive is distinguished form the primitive for AXE by the extra "teeth" on the blade.

Front 914

Primitive:

Back 914

Broom (pg. 311)

Hint 914

Pictograph of bristles on head of the broom

Front 915

Primitive:

Back 915

Rake (pg. 313)

Hint 915

A single vertical stroke transforms *broom* into RAKE. When an element comes below RAKE, the vertical stroke is shortened,. When something comes above the RAKE and joins it to it at the top, the vertical stroke begins at the top horizontal stroke.

Front 916

Primitive:

Back 916

Sieve (pg. 314)

Hint 916

A *rake* and the *grains of rice* at the bottom give us a hint of winnowing, which relates clearly to the meaning of sieve.

Front 917

Primitive:

Back 917

Mop (pg. 314)

Hint 917

The only thing distinguishing MOP from RAKE is the bent handle that does not cut through the top horizontal stroke. It depicts the swish-swash motion of a mop.

Front 918

Primitive:

Back 918

Comb (pg315)

Hint 918

obvious pictograph of comb

Front 919

Primitive:

Back 919

Shovel (pg. 315)

Hint 919

This enclosure - which embraces its relative primitive from the bottom - is a pictograph of the scoop of a shovel. when room permits the arms are extended upwards to nearly the same height as the primitives it holds.

Front 920

Primitive:

Back 920

Salad (pg. 319)

Hint 920

The element for FLOWER joins with the long horizontal stroke beneath it to create the picture of a bowl of SALAD.

Front 921

Primitive:

Back 921

Caverns (pg 320)

Hint 921

The primitive for caverns differs from that for CAVE by the presence of the TWENTY, suggesting a maze of underground CAVES.

Front 922

Primitive:

Back 922

Haystack (pg. 320)

Hint 922

the 3 needles stacked up give us a HAYSTACK (in which it may be harder to find the hay than the needles). In the rare case in which nothing is underneath this element, as in the kanji for "bustle", the last 3 strokes are written virtually the same as "TWO HANDS"--that is, the second stroke swoops down and two the left.

Front 923

Primitive:

Back 923

Straw man (pg. 322)

Hint 923

the two *HUMAN LEGS* attached to the *HAYSTACK* (with a horizontal stroke to keep them distinct from one another) gives us the STRAW MAN.

Front 924

Primitive:

Back 924

Quarter (pg 323)

Hint 924

this character cuts the vertical stroke of HALF, in half, to get a QUARTER.

Front 925

Primitive:

Back 925

Spear (pg. 327)

Hint 925

this weapon, which has the appearance of the long *saber* but is drawn slightly differently, depicts a SPEAR. It appears only rarely -- in this book, only twice.

Front 926

Primitive:

Back 926

Dollar sign (pg 328)

Hint 926

2 WALKING STICKS + BOW, infrequent primitive. When under another element, the first vertical stroke is abbreviated to a short "tail" as the final stroke, and the second vertical stroke is cut off at the top. as in 第

Front 927

Primitive:

Back 927

Snare (pg. 329)

Hint 927

The simple SNARE composed of vine and a bent twig is depicted here as a sort of abbreviation for BOW, to which it is related.

Front 928

Primitive:

Back 928

Slingshot (pg. 330)

Hint 928

The SLINGSHOT differs from the SNARE by virtue of the first stroke, which you may take as the strip of rubber you pull back on, to make the SLINGSHOT sling.

Front 929

Primitive:

Back 929

Scissors (pg. 334)

Hint 929

This primitive is based on that for husband. the two extra strokes represent a pair of scissors he is carrying around.

Front 930

Primitive:

Back 930

Maestro (pg. 334)

Hint 930

to go with this primitive meaning, you might picture a tuxedo-clad MAESTRO waving his baton about wildly. The baton is seen in the DROP at the top. and the two boxes attached to the long vertical stroke may represent his tuxedo tails, if you wish.

Front 931

Primitive:

Back 931

Jawbone (pg.338)

Hint 931

The meaning of this primitive is taken from the combination of "the joint" above and the "MOUTH" in the "COWL" below.

Front 932

Primitive:

Back 932

Pinnacle (338)

Hint 932

This key word has been chosen because of its connotation of "the highest point," thereby suggesting the image of the highest point in a village, that is, a hill or mountain on which sacred or festive events take place. If you have a clear image of the Athenian acropolis, you might use it to express this element for pinnacle. NOTE that as a primitive this appears only on the left. On the right, as we shall see, the same form takes a different meaning.

Front 933

Primitive:

Back 933

paper punch (pg 344)

Hint 933

This primitive simply discards the first stroke of that for HOLE to become a PAPER PUNCH. When found at the top of its relative primitive, it undergoes the same change, the EIGHT becoming HUMAN LEGS.

Front 934

Primitive:

Back 934

Cocoon (pg. 351)

Hint 934

The two triangular shapes here and their final stroke are intended as a pictograph of a COCOON, spun in circles and tied up at the end. It is like the character for THREAD, except that the silkworm's actual product has not yet emerged clearly at the bottom.

Front 935

Primitive:

Back 935

Stamp (pg354)

Hint 935

This character is a kind of pictograph of a STAMP that may best be imagined as a postage STAMP to distinguish it from other stamp-like things to come up later.

Front 936

Primitive:

Back 936

Chop-seal (pg. 355)

Hint 936

the CHOP-SEAL is the engraved piece of wood or stone used in the orient to certify documents. unlike the STAMP, the top stroke here reaches a good distance to the left of its vertical stroke. when it appears at the top of other primitives, it is abbreviated to the shape of the top triangular part of 通

Front 937

Primitive:

Back 937

Mailbox (pg. 358)

Hint 937

In the EVENING, the neighbor comes and steals letters from your MAILBOX, leaving his FINGERPRINTS behind as evidence.

Front 938

Primitive:

Back 938

Receipt (pg. 358)

Hint 938

This primitive element is actually the mirror-image of that for STAMP, but since Japanese does not permit a stroke to go to the left and bottom in one swoop, the visual similarity is not perfectly clear.

Front 939

Primitive:

Back 939

Staple (pg 359)

Hint 939

this primitive represents a number of small STAPLES, like the kind commonly used in an office and at school.

Front 940

Primitive:

Back 940

Drum (pg362)

Hint 940

DRUM shows a SAMURAI over a TABLE where the last stroke of SAMURAI doubles as the first of TABLE.

Front 941

Primitive:

Back 941

Silver (pg. 365)

Hint 941

comes from the kanji for silver. Just learn it as is. Note when it appears on left the penultimate stroke is omitted as in 即。

Front 942

Primitive:

Back 942

Waitress (pg. 368)

Hint 942

comes from the primitive RECEIPT and means WAITRESS which should not be confused with WAITER (frame 976)

Front 943

Primitive:

Back 943

Sheaf (pg. 370)

Hint 943

These 2 stokes are a crude drawing of a bundle of stalks bound together into a SHEAF.

Front 944

Primitive:

Back 944

Earthworm (pg. 371)

Hint 944

drop of...shovel...fishhook

Front 945

Primitive:

Back 945

Ketchup (pg. 372)

Hint 945

originally had the character meaning of "false"

Front 946

Primitive:

Back 946

Cornucopia (pg. 373)

Hint 946

Considering the lack of circular lines, this kanji is not a bad pictograph of a cornucopia. Despite what it looks like in printed form, the first two strokes are actually written as one.

Front 947

Primitive:

Back 947

Rice seedling (pg 374)

Hint 947

ideograph of the spikelets of rice bunched together for implanting in the muddy soil of the paddy.

Front 948

Primitive:

Back 948

Resin (pg 376)

Hint 948

This TREE has become a POLE because most of its branches have been pruned off by a naive but greedy gardener anxious to siphon off its RESIN (the drop at the top) as quickly as possible

Front 949

Primitive:

Back 949

Celery (pg. 376)

Hint 949

looks similar to SALAD but for an extra horizontal stroke, reminiscent I should think of the long CELERY sticks in your SALAD.

Front 950

Primitive:

Back 950

Grass skirt (pg. 377)

Hint 950

GRASS SKIRT composed of a TOP HAT and SCARF, and EIGHT CELERY STICKS

Front 951

Primitive:

Back 951

Grow Up (pg. 378)

Hint 951

As the plant GROWS UP it sprouts leaves and a stalk, which are depicted here over a single horizontal stroke for the SOIL.

Front 952

Primitive:

Back 952

bushes (pg. 382)

Hint 952

whatever you imagined for HEDGE(frame 154) picture something different here for BUSHES. when on the left side it slopes to the left as in 寿。

Front 953

Primitive:

Back 953

bushes (pg. 382)

Hint 953

whatever you imagined for HEDGE(frame 154) picture something different here for BUSHES. when on the left side it slopes to the left as in 寿。

Front 954

Primitive:

Back 954

Christmas Tree (pg. 383)

Hint 954

2 additional strokes take the primitive from BUSHES to CHRISTMAS TREE, that is a tree that is also a bush.

Front 955

Primitive:

Back 955

Bonsai (pg. 384)

Hint 955

"encloses" something beneath it. The extra stroke to BUSHES gives the image of the crutches japanese gardeners use to hold up a tree that is being bent into shape, like a bonsai.

Front 956

Primitive:

Back 956

Cornstalk (pg. 384)

Hint 956

shows the CORNSTALK and leaves bursting forth on all sides. Keep distinct from the primitive for BUSHES.

Front 957

Primitive:

Back 957

Cabbage (pg 385)

Hint 957

flower+mouth+grow up = cabbage

Front 958

Primitive:

Back 958

Scarecrow (pg. 385)

Hint 958

by twisting the final 2 strokes of CABBAGE into a pair of legs, we get a SCARECROW with a CABBAGE for a head.

Front 959

Primitive:

Back 959

Silage (pg. 386)

Hint 959

The drawing of this element is difficult to do smoothly and should be practiced carefully. It is a pictograph of all sorts of plants and grasses thrown together to make a SILAGE (a pile of greenery stored in a silo without drying for use as animal feed during winter). The vertical line is drawn broken here to indicate that it will always double up with another primitive elements's vertical stroke.

Front 960

Primitive:

Back 960

Key (pg. 396)

Hint 960

This element gets its name and meaning from its pictographic representation of a KEY.

Front 961

Primitive:

Back 961

Guillotine (pg. 396)

Hint 961

depicts a large, sharpened KEY coming down on the head of a criminal ST. BERNARD as a GUILLOTINE

Front 962

Primitive:

Back 962

Locket (pg. 397)

Hint 962

KEY+WALKING STICK+MOUTH+SUNGLASSES WITH A LENS POPPED OUT = LOCKET. note that in the primitive element for LOCKET the final vertical stroke of SUNGLASSES reaches all the way through to touch the MOUTH.

Front 963

Primitive:

Back 963

Potato (pg. 399)

Hint 963

This element differs from DRY in virtue of the small hook at the end of the third stroke.

Front 964

Primitive:

Back 964

Awl (pg. 402)

Hint 964

visually similar to BUNDLE. MEETING+MOUTH+PERSON = AWL. Note how PERSON goes through the MOUTH.

Front 965

Primitive:

Back 965

Sickness (pg. 404)

Hint 965

CAVE + ICE outside it = SICKNESS

Front 966

Primitive:

Back 966

Box (pg. 405)

Hint 966

represents a box lying on its side. When its not used as an enclosure it is cramped up as seen in the middle part of 抑. In this form it takes the meaning VERY SMALL BOX.

Front 967

Primitive:

Back 967

Teepee (pg. 407)

Hint 967

the dots at the top of this tent are the wooden poles protruding outside the canvas walls of the teepee.

Front 968

Primitive;

Back 968

Pup tent (pg. 408)

Hint 968

The ST. BERNARD DOG and its overlapping with the element for TEEPEE are enough to suggest the meaning of this primitive element: a PUP TENT. the combo of SUN and LITTLE at the bottom can mean a LITTLE opening or flap through which the SUN shines in the morning to let you know its time for getting up.

Front 969

Primitive:

Back 969

Shape (pg. 409)

Hint 969

the 3 simple strokes actually represent the form or shape of one's beard. but we'll keep simple sense of SHAPE or of the verb "to SHAPE" to avoid confusion with the later character for "hair."

Front 970

Primitive:

Back 970

Fenceposts (pg. 412)

Hint 970

This shows 2 FENCEPOSTS. They enclose whatever comes between them, as distinct from a pair of WALKING STICKS (frame 250).

Front 971

Primitive:

Back 971

Sparkler (pg. 413)

Hint 971

as the pictograph immediately suggests, this element depicts spreading out or scattering from a focal point. It will often have another primitive put at its center.

Front 972

Primitive:

Back 972

Mosaic (pg. 416)

Hint 972

This element is shaped roughly like the SNAKE, but pay attention to the difference when writing it.

Front 973

Primitve:

Back 973

Bushel basket (pg. 418)

Hint 973

As the two *legs* at the bottom suggest, this BUSHEL BASKET is a large container, standing on the floor. The first 4 strokes indicate its made of whicker, like the small *WICKER BASKET*. To put something in the BUSHEL BASKET, the legs at the bottom are attached to the final horizontal stroke, and extended to make a kind of enclosure.

Front 974

Primitive:

Back 974

Purse (pg 419)

Hint 974

IN + one stroke at the bottom = purse

Front 975

Primitive:

Back 975

Shelf (pg. 421)

Hint 975

The pictographic representation in the primitives shown here is a small stand with horizontal SHELVES. Thus we give it the general meaning of a SHELF. Be sure to picture it as a special shelf to keep it distinct from the kanji for shelf (frame 202)

Front 976

Primitive:

Back 976

Funnel (pg 428)

Hint 976

CELERY + AGAIN

Front 977

Primitive:

Back 977

Scrapbook (pg. 429)

Hint 977

It is most rare to see the FLOWER come under its relative primitive element. note how it is straightened out to fill the space below the GLASS CANOPY.

Front 978

Primitive:

Back 978

Calling Card (pg. 431)

Hint 978

FAMILY NAME...FLOOR

Front 979

Primitive:

Back 979

Dog Tag (pg. 432)

Hint 979

refers to all sorts of ID tags. ARROWHEAD, SCREWDRIVER

Front 980

Primitive:

Back 980

City Walls (pg. 432)

Hint 980

This primitive, located on the left indicates the high spot of a village THE PINNACLE, but when *LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE*, it means the lowest part of the city, around which its walls rise up as a protection against invaders. Hence CITY WALLS.

Front 981

Primitive:

Back 981

Drag (pg 434)

Hint 981

not a pictograph in a strict sense, this primitive shows one stroke pulling another along behind it. Note how it differs from CLIFF and PERSON because of this DRAGGING effect, not to mention that the first stroke is written *right to left*, almost as if it were a long DROP. When this element comes under a different element, the strokes are drawn apart as in 衆.

Front 982

Primitive:

Back 982

Clothes hanger (pg. 436)

Hint 982

This element, which looks something like a backwards *hook*, we'll call a CLOTHES HANGER, used as an enclosure, it begins further to the left.

Front 983

Primitive:

Back 983

Animal tracks (pg. 445)

Front 984

Primitive:

Back 984

Lock of Hair (pg. 447)

Hint 984

this element is clearly derived from that for *fur*. by leaving out the second stroke, we simply get a LOCK OF HAIR

Front 985

Primitive:

Back 985

tail feathers (pg. 447)

Hint 985

think of the extravagant TAIL-FEATHER plumage of the peacock.

Front 986

Primitive:

Back 986

hairpin (pg. 448)

Hint 986

Note its similarity to the *SCARF*, which differs only by the addition of one stroke.

Front 987

Primitive:

Back 987

Owl (pg. 449)

Hint 987

We have already met these 3 strokes before. When they come under another stroke, they represent a CLAW, and thence a VULTURE. And when placed atop a roof structure, they create a SCHOOLHOUSE. The OWL has something to do with both: it is a bird of prey, and it has come to be associated in the popular imagination with learning.

Front 988

Primitive:

Back 988

Migrating Ducks (pg. 453)

Hint 988

depicts birds CLAWS that are joined to one another. note the extra horizontal stroke in FRIENDSHIP, which gives the appearance of a "two" in the middle of the kanji, further emphasizing the togetherness of the MIGRATING DUCKS.

Front 989

Primitive:

Back 989

Mountain Goat (pg. 454)

Hint 989

The ANIMAL HORNS and MOUNTAIN combine to give MOUNTAIN GOAT. THe extension of the final stroke is the tail, which only shows up when it has something under it.

Front 990

Primitive:

Back 990

Condor (pg. 456)

Hint 990

vulture...king...mountain. --notice the doubling up of strokes for *king* and *mountain*.

Front 991

Primitive:

Back 991

Skunk (pg. 456)

Hint 991

This primitive represents a SKUNK by combining the *claw* with the first part of the element for *sow*. Note how the final stroke of *claw* is turned and lengthened to double up with the first stroke of the *sow*.

Front 992

Primitive:

Back 992

Golden Calf

Hint 992

the animal horns and heavens here supposedly represent the golden calf deity created in exodus.