Pinyin initial: "y"

The Pinyin initial "y" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "y" belongs to the group of Pinyin initials which are represented in mnemonics by women. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "y" can appear in.

Mnemonics for y

Y is for Maud Younger.

Characters with y

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

Maud Younger (y) forgot her keys to the space station (Ø1), all she brought outside was her flute (一). She has no choice but to crash the door with the giant flute.
easy / amiable / to change / to exchange / prefix corresponding to the English adjective suffix "-able" or "-ible" / abbr. for 易經|易经[Yi4 jing1], the Book of Changes

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a really easy puzzle consisting of only two parts.

Maud Younger (y) and the sun (日) are trying to complete a really easy puzzle (易) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). It's not as easy as they thought though, because in zero gravity they can only move with the help of their bat wings (勿).
to follow / from / because of / due to / by / via / through / (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...

= + : Mnemonic symbol: 自由古巴, a cuba libre. The character 由 itself even looks like a cuba libre.

Maud Younger (y) is taking part in a charity auction in the outhouse's kitchen (ou2). She is auctioning the dinosaur bone (丨) next to her and is speaking into a microphone (曰). In the other hand she is holding a cuba libre (由), and she is already quite drunk.
to follow / from / because of; due to / by; via; through / (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...
leaf / page / lobe / (historical) period / classifier for small boats / a surname

= + : You could see the cross 十 as the leaves 叶 of the mandarin 口.

= + : Maud Younger (y) practised a trick shot all day in the elevator's bathroom (e4). She's now able to throw a leaf (叶) high in the air, then quickly throw a mandarin (口) and beat the mandarin with a cross (十) like a baseball with a bat so that the mandarin rips a hole right into the leaf.
cause / reason / because

= + : In front of the encampment, René Descartes, Maud Younger and a robot a starting a big rave. The robot sits inside a big box and is the master of ceremony, while René and Maud are dancing on the square. They started this rave to collect money for a good cause.

= + : Mnemonic symbol: the close reasoner René Descartes.
old variant of 因[yin1]
chair

= + : Maud Younger (y) is celebrating Christmas in the space station (Ø3) with a Christmas tree (木). She has a very enjoyable and relaxed Christmas just sitting on a chair (椅) and drinking a cappuccino (奇).
flame / inflammation / -itis

= : Maud Younger ate too much just inside anthill. She's sleeping so hard that she doesn't even wake up from the fire which is spreading fast.

= : Mnemonic symbol: As I just learned "itis" is the feeling you get after eating too much.
cigarette or pipe tobacco / CL:根[gen1] / smoke / mist / vapour / CL:縷|缕[lü3] / tobacco plant / (of the eyes) to be irritated by smoke

= + : Maud Younger (y) is giving René Descartes (因) fire (火) for his tobacco (烟) pipe in front of the anthill (an1).
to choke (in crying)
to swallow

= + : Maud Younger (y) and René Descartes (因) are preparing to swallow (咽) a whole mandarin each (口) in the anthill's bathroom (an4).
variant of 嚥|咽[yan4]

= + : Maud Younger (y) and René Descartes (因) are preparing to swallow (咽) a whole mandarin each (口) in the anthill's bathroom (an4).
narrow pass / throat / pharynx
throat; pharynx / narrow pass
to lean on / to rely upon

= + : Rosa Luxemburg (亻) and Maud Younger (y) rely on (倚) getting energy from drinking cappuccinos (奇) together in the space station's living room (Ø3) to start a revolution.
to have; there is / (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)

= 𠂇 + : Mnemonic symbol: confetti.

In an act of revolution, with a pair of scissors (𠂇) Maud Younger (y) is cutting a paper moon (月) into tiny pieces in the outhouse's living room (ou3). There is (有) only confetti (有) left over.
right (-hand) / the Right (politics) / west (old)

= 𠂇 + : Mnemonic symbol: a nazi.

A nazi wants to eat a mandarin in the outhouse's bathroom, but Maud Younger cuts it right in the middle with a pair of scissors.
(bound form) right; right-hand side / (bound form) (politics) right of center / (bound form) (old) west / (literary) the right side as the side of precedence
(bound form) to bless; to protect

= + : Rosa Luxemburg (亻) protects (佑) Maud Younger (y) from a Nazi (右) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4).