Kanji

💡 Break 絡 down and you get 糸 (thread / silk) — a thread wound on its spool, and beside it 各 (each) — one foot set down beside a mouth. Picture a needle threaded and ready to sew, put 絡 inside it, and let that scene stand for "entangle" — entangle / contact. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 継 down and you get 糸 (thread / silk) — a thread wound on its spool. Picture a needle threaded and ready to sew, put 継 inside it, and let that scene stand for "inherit" — inherit / continue. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 操 down and you get 扌 (hand) — a hand reaching in from the left, and beside it 喿 (many voices) — a tree full of small mouths, all chattering at once. Picture two cupped hands together, offering something held between them, put 操 inside it, and let that scene stand for "manipulate" — manipulate / operate. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture the sun sitting low behind a mountain ridge: that is what 燥 means — dry up. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 火 (fire) — a fire with sparks flying off to both sides, and beside it 喿 (many voices) — a tree full of small mouths, all chattering at once. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 凍 down and you get 冫 (ice) — two frozen droplets clinging to the side, and beside it 東 (east) — the sun caught behind the branches of a tree. Picture a block of ice with frost spreading from it, put 凍 inside it, and let that scene stand for "freeze" — freeze. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 溶 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 溶 inside it, and let that scene stand for "melt" — melt / dissolve. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a steaming bowl of food: that is what 沸 means — boil. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge, and beside it 弗 (not / currency mark) — two strands pulled taut and crossed, straining against each other. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Picture a steaming bowl of food: that is what 蒸 means — steam. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 艹 (grass / plant) — two shoots pushing up through the soil. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 滴 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture water falling from a rock ledge into the pool below it, put 滴 inside it, and let that scene stand for "drop (of liquid)" — drop (of liquid). The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 波 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge, and beside it 皮 (skin / hide) — a hide pulled off in one piece. Picture water falling from a rock ledge into the pool below it, put 波 inside it, and let that scene stand for "wave" — wave. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 泡 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture a well with its water surface catching the light, put 泡 inside it, and let that scene stand for "bubble" — bubble. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a stepping stone in the middle of a flowing river: that is what 津 means — harbor / tsunami. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge, and beside it 聿 (brush / writing) — a hand holding a brush over the paper. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 潮 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture rain falling from a cloud onto a rippling pond, put 潮 inside it, and let that scene stand for "tide" — tide. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 濃 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture rain falling from a cloud onto a rippling pond, put 濃 inside it, and let that scene stand for "dense" — dense / thick. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 薄 down and you get 艹 (grass / plant) — two shoots pushing up through the soil, and beside it 溥 (spread thin) — water spread so thin it barely covers the ground beneath it. Picture young plants pushing up out of the soil beside a garden label, put 薄 inside it, and let that scene stand for "thin" — thin / weak. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 硬 down and you get 石 (stone) — a rock sitting at the foot of a cliff, and beside it 更 (change / renew) — a hand reaching up to reset the sun in its frame, starting the count again. Picture a large stone, put 硬 inside it, and let that scene stand for "hard" — hard. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 軟 down and you get 車 (vehicle / wheel) — a cart seen from above, axle through the middle, and beside it 欠 (lack / open mouth) — a person leaning forward with their mouth open. Picture a cart on its wheels, put 軟 inside it, and let that scene stand for "soft" — soft. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 鋭 down and you get 金 (metal / gold) — metal kept under a roof — something precious, and beside it 兌 (exchange / pleased) — an open mouth held above a pair of legs, pleased and speaking out. Picture a bar of metal, put 鋭 inside it, and let that scene stand for "sharp" — sharp. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 鈍 down and you get 金 (metal / gold) — metal kept under a roof — something precious, and beside it 屯 (sprout / gather) — a stem coiled tight, struggling to straighten as it breaks the surface. Picture a bar of metal, put 鈍 inside it, and let that scene stand for "dull" — dull. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture two speech bubbles overlapping in a conversation: that is what 響 means — echo / influence. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 音 (sound) — a single note held under a line, sound made visible. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 揺 down and you get 扌 (hand) — a hand reaching in from the left. Picture a hand with one finger extended, pointing, put 揺 inside it, and let that scene stand for "shake" — shake / sway. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a figure straining to lift a weight overhead: that is what 衝 means — collision / impact. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 行 (go / conduct) — a crossroads seen from above, paths leading off in both directions, and beside it 重 (heavy / repeat) — a load pressing down on the ground. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 到 down and you get 至 (arrive / reach) — an arrow come to rest on the ground, and beside it 刂 (divide / cut) — a straight cut down the right-hand side. Picture a road disappearing through a tunnel cut into a hillside, put 到 inside it, and let that scene stand for "arrive" — arrive. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 至 down and you get 厶 (private / self) — arms drawn in, keeping something to oneself, and beside it 土 (earth / soil) — a mound of earth pushed up from flat ground. Picture a person sitting cross-legged on the ground, put 至 inside it, and let that scene stand for "reach" — reach / arrive at. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 致 down and you get 至 (arrive / reach) — an arrow come to rest on the ground, and beside it 攵 (strike / action) — a hand raised to make something happen. Picture a road disappearing through a tunnel cut into a hillside, put 致 inside it, and let that scene stand for "do (humble)" — do (humble) / cause. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 徴 down and you get 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk. Picture a milestone post standing beside the road, put 徴 inside it, and let that scene stand for "sign" — sign / collect. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 微 down and you get 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk. Picture a milestone post standing beside the road, put 微 inside it, and let that scene stand for "minute" — minute / slight. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

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

💡 Break 緯 down and you get 糸 (thread / silk) — a thread wound on its spool, and beside it 韋 (hide / surround) — a hide stretched taut between feet planted on either side of it. Picture a needle threaded and ready to sew, put 緯 inside it, and let that scene stand for "latitude" — latitude / woof. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 介 down and you get 人 (person) — a person standing on two legs. Picture a person bent forward from the waist in a bow, put 介 inside it, and let that scene stand for "mediate" — mediate / introduce. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 仲 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene, and beside it 中 (middle / inside) — a line driven through the centre of a box. Picture two people standing side by side, put 仲 inside it, and let that scene stand for "relationship" — relationship / middle. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a crossroads with a person walking through it and a signboard at the corner: that is what 伸 means — stretch / extend. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 伺 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene. Picture a person sitting cross-legged on the ground, put 伺 inside it, and let that scene stand for "ask" — ask / visit (humble). The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 依 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene, and beside it 衣 (clothing) — a garment with its collar and sleeves. Picture a person bent forward from the waist in a bow, put 依 inside it, and let that scene stand for "depend on" — depend on. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 俗 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene, and beside it 谷 (valley) — two slopes falling away to a narrow gap between them. Picture a person with one arm raised, waving, put 俗 inside it, and let that scene stand for "custom" — custom / vulgar. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 倣 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene. Picture a person mid-stride walking forward, put 倣 inside it, and let that scene stand for "imitate" — imitate. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 偏 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene, and beside it 扁 (flat / tablet) — a stack of flat tablets slid behind a door, pressed thin against each other. Picture the plain outline of a person standing, put 偏 inside it, and let that scene stand for "biased" — biased. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 傾 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene. Picture a person with one arm raised, waving, put 傾 inside it, and let that scene stand for "lean" — lean / tend. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 僚 down and you get 亻 (person) — a person standing at the left of the scene. Picture a person with one arm raised, waving, put 僚 inside it, and let that scene stand for "colleague" — colleague / official. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 帳 down and you get 巾 (cloth) — a cloth hanging down from its rail, and beside it 長 (long / chief) — hair grown long enough to trail. Picture a cloth hanging from its rail, put 帳 inside it, and let that scene stand for "notebook" — notebook / ledger. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a cloth hanging from its rail, and set 帯 inside that picture. The scene is the hook: bring it back and 帯 comes with it, meaning "belt / zone".

💡 Picture a small grove of three trees clustered together, and set 幹 inside that picture. The scene is the hook: bring it back and 幹 comes with it, meaning "trunk / main part".

💡 Break 庁 down and you get 广 (building / lean-to) — a roof with one open side, built against a wall, and beside it 丁 (nail / town block) — a nail seen from the side, its head flat above a straight shaft. Picture a building topped with a flat railed terrace, put 庁 inside it, and let that scene stand for "government agency" — government agency. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 庫 down and you get 广 (building / lean-to) — a roof with one open side, built against a wall, and beside it 車 (vehicle / wheel) — a cart seen from above, axle through the middle. Picture a building topped with a flat railed terrace, put 庫 inside it, and let that scene stand for "warehouse" — warehouse. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 延 down and you get 正 (correct / just) — a foot stopped square on the line, and beside it 廴 (stretch / extend) — a road dragged out longer, stretching past where it would normally stop. Picture a road disappearing through a tunnel cut into a hillside, put 延 inside it, and let that scene stand for "extend" — extend / postpone. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 律 down and you get 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk, and beside it 聿 (brush / writing) — a hand holding a brush over the paper. Picture a road arching over a bridge across water, put 律 inside it, and let that scene stand for "law" — law / rhythm. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture stepping stones leading forward one pace at a time: that is what 徒 means — follower / on foot. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk, and beside it 走 (run) — someone running along the road. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 御 down and you get 彳 (step / going) — the left half of a crossroads, where people walk. Picture a pedestrian crossing marked with painted stripes, put 御 inside it, and let that scene stand for "honorable" — honorable / control. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 快 down and you get 忄 (heart / feeling) — a heart standing upright at the left, and beside it 夬 (decide / cut) — a decisive stroke breaking through. Picture a heart, standing for how something feels, put 快 inside it, and let that scene stand for "pleasant" — pleasant. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 念 down and you get 心 (heart / feeling) — a heart, the seat of how you feel. Picture a heart-shaped lantern glowing on its string, put 念 inside it, and let that scene stand for "thought" — thought / wish. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.