言

yán = y + an2

words / speech / to say / to talk

言 = 亠 + 二 + 口 : The horizontal lines look like sound waves that emerge from an opening: I'll resemble 言 by a megaphone.

言 = 亠 + 二 + 口 : Maud Younger rushes into anthill and in the kitchen she uses a megaphone to loudly announce that the world revolution will soon start. She also tells the people that she has berets for everyone so that everyone will be able to be in style for the revolution. However she doesn't tell that she prepared the berets in another way: to each beret, she attached a mandarin via two capacitors which forms a formidable antenna, so that after the revolution, she'll be able to transmit her speeches directly to the wearers' brains.

言 character breakdown

言
- 二
  - 一
- 亠
  - 一
  - 丶
- 口

二

èr = Ø + Ø4

two / 2 / (Beijing dialect) stupid

二 = 一 : Mnemonic symbol: a capacitor, because the two strokes remind me of the symbol in electrical drawings. Albert Einstein (Ø) is experimenting with a capacitor (二) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). He finds that it's uncomfortable to discharge a capacitor using two flutes (一).

亠

tóu = t + ou2

"lid" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 8)

亠 = 丶 + 一 : Mnemonic symbol: 亠 looks like a beret. Tecumseh (t) is killing time in the Outhouse's kitchen (ou2) by playing a game. His goal is to blow a petal leaf (丶) into a beret (亠) by blowing air through a flute (一).

口

kǒu = k + ou3

mouth / classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc) / classifier for bites or mouthfuls

Mnemonic symbol: 口 shall be represented by a mandarin. Karl Marx (k-) is enjoying a mandarin in the outhouse's living room (ou3).

Characters with 言 as component

志

誌

zhì = zh + Ø4

sign / mark / to record / to write a footnote

志 = 士 + 心 : Mnemonic symbol: a sticky note. James II of England (zh) writes down his poems on sticky notes (志) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). As he reads them to the bachelor (士), the bachelor is really moved by James II of England's ambitions (志) and wants to give James II of England his heart (心).

谢

謝

xiè = xi + e4

to thank / to apologize / (of flowers, leaves etc) to wither / to decline

谢 = 射 + 讠 : Marie Curie (xi) just came back from her trip to outer space and is standing in front of the launch pad (射) in the elevator's bathroom (e4). She thanks (谢) her sponsors and points towards the sponsors' advertising column (讠), saying that it would have been impossible to go to outer space without their funding.

试

試

shì = sh + Ø4

to test / to try / experiment / examination / test

试 = 式 + 讠 : Sherlock Holmes is doing an eye examination with the goth in the space station's bathroom. Sherlock set up a table with differently sized letters on an advertising column and has the goth read out the letters.

识

識

zhì = zh + Ø4

to record / to write a footnote

识

識

shí = sh + Ø2

to know / knowledge / Taiwan pr. [shi4]

识 = 只 + 讠 : Sherlock Holmes (sh) is inspecting the new arrival at the entrance of the space station (Ø2). It's a big advertising column (讠) with a cuttlefish (只) on it, to broaden the space station's inhabitant's knowledge (识).

让

讓

ràng = r + ang4

to yield / to permit / to let sb do sth / to have sb do sth / to make sb (feel sad etc) / by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被[bei4])

让 = 上 + 讠 : Robinson Crusoe badly needs to use anglepod's bathroom, but currently it's under renovation. On the toilet seats there's a sign saying "上" and pointing to an advertising column, so Robinson thinks that they just want him to sit on top of the advertising column, and indeed there's a hole at the top of the column.

误

誤

wù = w + Ø4

mistake / error / to miss / to harm / to delay / to neglect / mistakenly

误 = 吴 + 讠 : Recently, mission control had an advertising column (讠) set up in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). On the column is written that interracial love is WRONG (误) and should be banned. To protest this, Willy Walrus (w) and the water buffalo (吴) show their love for each other by having a shower together in the space station's bathroom.

评

評

píng = pi + (e)ng2

to discuss / to comment / to criticize / to judge / to choose (by public appraisal)

评 = 平 + 讠 : Pocahontas (pi) saw a pan (平) advertised on an advertising column (讠) in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2), but she is not satisfied at all, so she leaves her comments (评) on the pan by beating the pan over the advertising column.

证

證

zhèng = zh + (e)ng4

certificate / proof / to prove / to demonstrate / to confirm / variant of 症[zheng4]

证 = 正 + 讠 : James II of England (zh) is not allowed to stay any longer in the engine, so in the bathroom ((e)ng4) he forges a visa (证) so he can stay. On an advertising column (讠) he scribbles his fake visa, but (like me) he sucks at drawing, so he is only able to draw a stick figure (正) where his photo should go.

诗

詩

shi̅ = sh + Ø1

abbr. for Shijing 詩經|诗经[Shi1 jing1], the Book of Songs

诗

詩

shi̅ = sh + Ø1

poem / CL:首[shou3] / poetry / verse

诗 = 寺 + 讠 : Just in front of the space station (Ø1)
Sherlock Holmes (sh) suffers a head lesion
By bumping his head on a Buddhist shrine (寺).
"Don't you drink anymore wine!"
Is written on an advertisement pole (讠):
"Better follow our Buddha's role!"
"How can drinking wine be a crime?"
Sherlock, rubbing his head, has to whine.
"I shall return back to my home,
I'm already annoyed by this little poem. (诗)"

诸

諸

zhu̅ = zhu + Ø1

all / various

诸 = 者 + 讠 : Julian Giant Squid (zhu) tells Louis XIV (者) all about his special sugarcane (诸) in front of the space station (Ø1). He got a picture of the sugarcane on an advertising column (讠) and starts his speech using the royal plural: "Ladies and Gentlemen (诸), ..."

诸

諸

zhu̅ = zhu + Ø1

surname Zhu

读

讀

dú = du + Ø2

to read out; to read aloud / to read / to attend (school); to study (a subject in school) / to pronounce

读

讀

dú = du + Ø2

to read / to study / reading of word (i.e. pronunciation), similar to 拼音[pin1 yin1]

读 = 卖 + 讠 : Doggy Dog finds an advertising column just inside the space station's entrance. He finds out that it's for sale: There is an price tag attached to it. He reads the price tag aloud: "woof woof woof woof!"

读

讀

dòu = d + ou4

comma / phrase marked by pause

注

註

zhù = zhu + Ø4

to register / to annotate / note / comment

注 = 主 + 氵 : Julian Giant Squid and the lord are very concentrated on a game they are playing in the space station's bathroom. Each of them has a bottle of water, and they are taking turns to pour the water in the other one's bottle, which is not that easy at zero gravity.

训

訓

xùn = xu + (e)n4

to teach / to train / to admonish / instruction (from superiors) / teachings / rule

训 = 川 + 讠 : Lately the water level has risen and now a river (川) is flowing through the encampment's bathroom ((e)n4). Xu Xian (xu) takes this opportunity to set up an advertising column (讠) and advertise his swimming instruction courses (训).

译

譯

yì = y + Ø4

to translate / to interpret

译 = 夅 + 讠 : 金星 (夅) wants to talk to an advertising column (讠) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but he only speaks heavenly script. Fortunately Maud Younger (y) is there to translate (译) for him.

讯

訊

xùn = xu + (e)n4

to question / to ask / to interrogate / rapid / speedy / fast / news / information

讯 = 卂 + 讠 : Since Xu Xian (xu) invented his jet pack (卂) in the encampment's bathroom ((e)n4) he is giving many interviews. The journalists question (讯) him through an advertising column (讠) with a video telephony panel.

Words with 言

一

yi̅

言

yán

不

bù

发

發

fa̅

to not say a word (idiom)

一

yi̅

般

ba̅n

而

ér

言

yán

generally speaking

一

yi̅

言

yán

堂

táng

(sign hung in a shop) prices fixed – no bargaining (old) / having things decided by the will of a single individual / autocratic rule / (contrasted with 群言堂[qun2 yan2 tang2])

一

yi̅

言

yán

一

yi̅

动

動

dòng

(one's) every word and deed (idiom)

一

yi̅