Kanji

💡 夕 is the picture: the thin moon that shows early in the evening. Set it against the moon in a night sky and the shape carries its meaning, "evening", with it.

💡 Break 赤 down and you get 土 (earth / soil) — a mound of earth pushed up from flat ground. Picture a glowing ember on a dark cloth, put 赤 inside it, and let that scene stand for "red" — red. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 切 down and you get 刀 (blade / divide) — a clean line splitting something in two. Picture a cleaver blade cutting straight down through a block, put 切 inside it, and let that scene stand for "cut" — cut. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 説 down and you get 言 (speech / words) — words rising out of an open mouth, and beside it 兌 (exchange / pleased) — an open mouth held above a pair of legs, pleased and speaking out. Picture a panel of words parting down the middle like a curtain to let a bright idea through the gap, put 説 inside it, and let that scene stand for "explain" — explain / theory. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 洗 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture a river bending past a stone in its current, put 洗 inside it, and let that scene stand for "wash" — wash. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 線 down and you get 糸 (thread / silk) — a thread wound on its spool. Picture thread wound onto a spool, put 線 inside it, and let that scene stand for "line" — line. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 走 down and you get 土 (earth / soil) — a mound of earth pushed up from flat ground, and beside it 龰 (foot / stop) — a foot resting flat, its toes fanned out along the ground. Picture legs mid-sprint, dust flying past underneath, put 走 inside it, and let that scene stand for "run" — run. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 送 down and you get ⻌ (road / movement) — a road running along the bottom of the character. Picture a pedestrian crossing marked with painted stripes, put 送 inside it, and let that scene stand for "send" — send. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a person carrying a box held in both arms: that is what 族 means — family / tribe. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 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.

💡 Picture a field terraced into steps up a hillside: that is what 村 means — village. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 木 (tree / wood) — a tree with branches reaching up and roots spreading down, and beside it 寸 (measure / inch) — a hand measuring a short distance. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.