Kanji

💡 Break 島 down and you get 鳥 (bird) — a bird with its eye, wing and tail feathers, and beside it 山 (mountain) — three peaks rising side by side. Picture a small bird perched with its wing folded, put 島 inside it, and let that scene stand for "island" — island. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture clothing folded neatly into a stack: that is what 革 means — leather / reform. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 廿 (twenty) — two tens fused side by side under a single bar. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 再 down and you get 一 (one / a line) — a single line, the very first mark. Picture tally marks counted off in groups of five, put 再 inside it, and let that scene stand for "again" — again / re-. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 税 down and you get 禾 (grain / rice plant) — a stalk of grain bending under its ripe head, and beside it 兌 (exchange / pleased) — an open mouth held above a pair of legs, pleased and speaking out. Picture a ripe stalk of grain, put 税 inside it, and let that scene stand for "tax" — tax. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 比 down and you get 匕 (spoon / change) — a spoon turned over to tip out what it holds. Picture an open hand with the character resting in the palm, put 比 inside it, and let that scene stand for "compare" — compare / ratio. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a wall drawn right around what it holds: that is what 防 means — prevent / defend. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, ⻖ (hill / mound) — a terraced hill climbing at the left, and beside it 方 (direction / way) — a signpost with one arm pointing off. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 補 down and you get 衤 (clothing) — the edge of a garment at the left, and beside it 甫 (garden plot / broad) — a garden plot marked out square, staked at its centre. Picture a garment with its collar and sleeves, put 補 inside it, and let that scene stand for "supplement" — supplement. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 境 down and you get 土 (earth / soil) — a mound of earth pushed up from flat ground. Picture a mound of earth raised from flat ground, put 境 inside it, and let that scene stand for "boundary" — boundary. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 副 down and you get 畐 (full / abundant) — a round-bellied jar packed full beneath its lid, and beside it 刂 (divide / cut) — a straight cut down the right-hand side. Picture a cleaver blade cutting straight down through a block, put 副 inside it, and let that scene stand for "vice-" — vice- / secondary. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture an open ledger book ruled into counted columns: that is what 算 means — calculate. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 竹 (bamboo) — two bamboo stalks with their leaves. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.