Pinyin final: "a4"

The Pinyin final "a4" is used in the second half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the second half of a Pinyin syllable is always represented by a location. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "a4" can appear in.

Mnemonics for a4

In the ashram's bathroom.

Characters with a4

岔
chà = ch + a4
fork in road / bifurcation / branch in road, river, mountain range etc / to branch off / to turn off / to diverge / to stray (from the path) / to change the subject / to interrupt / to stagger (times)
岔 = 分 + 山 : Charlie Chaplin (ch) is conducting a scientific investigation in the ashram's bathroom (a4) in which he sticks a fork (山) into a toilet at different positions and angles and measures with a stopwatch (分) how long it takes a bifurcation (岔) to appear once he flushes the toilet.
夹
夾
jià = ji + a4
Taiwan pr. used in 夾生|夹生[jia1 sheng1] and 夾竹桃|夹竹桃[jia1 zhu2 tao2]
辣
là = l + a4
hot (spicy) / pungent / (of chili pepper, raw onions etc) to sting / to burn
辣 = 束 + 辛 : Lancelot (l) wants to concoct a hot and spicy (辣) broth in the ashram's bathroom (a4), so he prepares a bundle of firewood (束) and puts a kettle on it. He fills the kettle with kimchi (辛) to make a hot and spicy soup.
辣
辢
là = l + a4
old variant of 辣[la4]
辣 = 束 + 辛 : Lancelot (l) wants to concoct a hot and spicy (辣) broth in the ashram's bathroom (a4), so he prepares a bundle of firewood (束) and puts a kettle on it. He fills the kettle with kimchi (辛) to make a hot and spicy soup.
丅
xià = xi + a4
old variant of 下[xia4]
丅 = 一 + 丨 : Mnemonic symbol from the shape which looks like a T: a T-bone steak.

Xi Shi (xi) is secretly eating a steak (丅) in the ashram's bathroom (a4). She uses two flutes (一) as chopsticks and even devours the steak's bones (丨).
刹
剎
chà = ch + a4
Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 剎多羅|刹多罗[cha4 duo1 luo2], Sanskrit "ksetra")
刹 = 刂 + 杀 : Charlie Chaplin (ch) wanted to kill himself with a knife (刂) in the ashram's bathroom (a4), but then he finds that there is a nice Buddhist monastery (刹). The Buddhists promise that they can just erase Charlie's past using an eraser (杀) on his head.
蜡
蠟
là = l + a4
candle / wax
蜡 = 昔 + 虫 : Sir Lancelot (l) spent all day waxing (蜡) the floor of the ashram's bathroom (a4). Even when the mosquito (虫) drops his milkshake (昔) on the floor it just drops off and doesn't wet the floor.
呐
吶
nà = n + a4
battle cry
呐 = 口 + 内 : Napoleon (n) has a terrible stomach ache. Using a CT scanner (内) in the ashram's bathroom (a4) he finds the reason: a mandarin (口) is dislodged in his intestines. With a loud battle cry (呐) he pulls the mandarin out with his bare hands.
帕
pà = p + a4
to wrap / kerchief / handkerchief / headscarf / pascal (SI unit)
帕 = 巾 + 白 : Pinocchio (p) caught a severe cold. In the ashram's bathroom (a4) he prepares a lot of handkerchiefs (帕) by cutting down towels (巾) and white flags (白) into appropriately sized pieces.
发
髮
fà = f + a4
hair / Taiwan pr. [fa3]
发 = 山 + 又 : Frankenstein wants to eat lunch in the ashram's bathroom, but wearing boxing gloves, he's unable to unwind that one long, red hair from his forks.
化
huà = hu + a4
to make into / to change into / -ization / to ... -ize / to transform / abbr. for 化學|化学[hua4 xue2]
化 = 亻 + 匕 : Helga Horse and Rosa Luxemburg conduct an experiment in the ashram's bathroom. Using a transformer, they melt a ladle.
华
華
huà = hu + a4
Mt Hua 華山|华山 in Shaanxi / surname Hua
夏
xià = xi + a4
summer
夏 = 𦣻 + 夂 : Mnemonic symbol: a sherpa, 夏尔巴人.

Marie Curie (xi) gives a sherpa (夏) 100 bucks (𦣻) to play a summer song on his flute (𦣻) and dance on high heels (夂) in the ashram's bathroom (a4).
夏
xià = xi + a4
the Xia or Hsia dynasty c. 2000 BC / Xia of the Sixteen Kingdoms (407-432) / surname Xia
夏 = 𦣻 + 夂 : Mnemonic symbol: a sherpa, 夏尔巴人.

Marie Curie (xi) gives a sherpa (夏) 100 bucks (𦣻) to play a summer song on his flute (𦣻) and dance on high heels (夂) in the ashram's bathroom (a4).
嫁
jià = ji + a4
(of a woman) to marry / to marry off a daughter / to shift (blame etc)
嫁 = 女 + 家 : Bessie Coleman (女) is going to marry (嫁) Joan of Arc (ji) in the ashram's bathroom (a4) where they'll later live. They already put a "home sweet home" frame (家) on the wall.
罢
罷
bà = b + a4
to stop / to cease / to dismiss / to suspend / to quit / to finish
罢 = 去 + 罒 : Beelzebub (b) is on a strike (罢) in the ashram's bathroom (a4). He is not a Sissy though, so he locked his arms in a concrete barrel (去) hanging right under the floor in a net (罒) so he is hard to get at. He will shout at anyone who wants to use the toilet until his demands are fulfilled.
啊
à = Ø + a4
interjection or grunt of agreement / uhm / Ah, OK / expression of recognition / Oh, it's you!
跨
kuà = ku + a4
to step across / to stride over / to straddle / to span
跨 = ⻊ + 夸 : Karl Koala (ku) found a strange quark (夸) in the ashram's bathroom (a4) and to not step on it with his cowboy boots (⻊) he steps across (跨) the strange quark.
驾
駕
jià = ji + a4
surname Jia
驾
駕
jià = ji + a4
to harness / to draw (a cart etc) / to drive / to pilot / to sail / to ride / your good self / prefixed word denoting respect (polite 敬辭|敬辞[jing4 ci2])
驾 = 加 + 马 : Today the unicorn (马) is going to pilot (驾) a plane for the first time. As it gets ready in the ashram's bathroom (a4), Joan of Arc (ji) is cheering waving with her pom poms (加).