Mandarin Chinese Characters Set 17 (20) Flashcards
麤
cu1
“tsoo”
= rough, coarse, big (three deer together)
羴
shan1
“shan”
= rank odour (three sheep or goats together aren’t going to smell very good)
骉
biao1
“beow” rhymes with meow
= horses running (three horses together)
蟲
chong2
“chong”
= insects (three bugs or worm components)
艹
cao3
“tsow” rhymes with cow
= grass （this character only ever appears as a component of a compound character; never alone. It refers to types of flora and fauna)
草
cao3
“tsow” rhymes with cow
grass （艹） + early = grass, herb
苗
miao2
“meeow” like a cat sounds
grass + field = bud (that grows in the fields).
茶
cha2
“char”
grass + person + tree = tea
苦
ku3
“koo”
grass + old (古 = gu3 also means illness) = bitter
An old plant is not going to taste very good.
貝 （simplified form is 贝 )
bei4
“bay”
= shell, money currency (it used to mean shell as they were used for money at one time in China).
買 (simplified form is 买 )
mai3
“m eye”
= buy ( net + shell). This alludes to the fact that a net collected shells to use as money.
賣 （simplifield form is 卖 )
mai4
“m eye”
= to sell (scholar + net + shell.)
貧 （simplified form is 贫 ）
pin2
“peen”
= poor (it is made up of divide 分 + shell 貝 that means that if you divide shells or money you will be poorer).
賀 （simplified form is 贺 ）
he4
“hu”
= to congratulate (in China congratulating often involves giving/adding 加 + money 貝）.
買 賣
mai3 mai4
“meye meye”
= commerce (to buy + to sell)
