Time for some game theory!
博弈论 bo2yi4 lun4 博弈 boy2yi4 games (of a competitive nature) gamble+ancient name for wei qi. 论lun4 theory (talking around the…
http://amazon.com/author/quizmaster
旗 Flag (Qi2)
旗 qi2 flag This character is the image of a flag. Originally the flag was on the left; the character…
Free supplement to “Devil’s Diplomatic Dictionary” Mole; Poetic License to Ill
Mole (n.) An infiltrator spy or other disloyal person. A disloyal spy, sent from the infernal world, to root out…
敝 bi4 broken beaten battered
敝 hand hammer + torn tatters = bi4 hand hammer busted tattered BI4. it’s the idea of busted up clothing,…
病 bing4 sick QI LAI.
病 bing4 bing4 means sick. It’s a picture of one’s ribs as a symbol of interior, inside and it is…
条件 , 情况: tiao2jian4 versus qing2kuang4
Tiaojian条件, qingkuang情况: tiaojian is a condition, like as in the clause of a contract. but qingkuang is a more general…
Kim Yo Jong & Martin Shkreli: separated at birth.
Both are supervillians. Obviously they are related: just look at those smirks!
静夜思 Still Night Thoughts jing4 ye4 si1
床前明月光 quan2 qian2 ming2 yue4 guang1 疑是地上霜 yi2 shi4 di4 shang3 shuang1 举头望明月 ju3 tou2 wang4 ming2 yue4 低头思故乡 di1…
完全他妈的恐慌屠杀和扯蛋
完全他妈的恐慌屠杀和扯蛋
持 chi2 C.lasp H.old I.t
持 = 手 + 土 + 寸 chi2 is a hand on the left (手shou3) a clump of earth on…
“On the Beach”: A memoir
千山鸟飞绝 the flight of a thousand birds cut short 万径人踪灭 the tracks and traces of ten thousand extinguished 孤舟蓑笠翁 an…
日 ri SUN 旦 dan DAWN 正 zheng UPRIGHT 是 shi IS
You are 是 standing upright 正 under the SHIning sun 日 at dawn 旦 and it’s a really hot day.…
春眠不觉晓 chun mian bu jue shao
春眠不觉晓 chun mian bu jue shao 处处闻啼鸟 chu chu wen ti niao 夜来风雨声 ye lai feng yu sheng 花落知多少 hua…
Side Hustle: Similar looking pianpang
廴 yin3 long road. Sometimes reported as long legged strider, which does’t seem to be the case; this is also…
常尝 look alike. sound the same. similar meanings! 我常常尝试.
常尝 chang2 常 this chang2 means often, repeatedly. 尝 this chang2 means taste try attempt. they both have “esteemed” shang4…
九丸执热 9 pill grasp hot; look alikes that don’t sound at all alike.
九丸执热 These look alike but are unrelated. They don’t sound at all alike. You’re better off just memorizing than searching…
Schroedinger’s Dictator 在沙滩 … 再杀瘫.
You can predict his location (‘on the Beach’…) OR his velocity (zero) but never both at once. 在沙滩 zai4sha1tan1 再杀瘫…
辛苦 xinku 幸福 xingfu
辛 This is Xin1. It’s a picture of a dagger used to inflict corporal punishment on prisoners. So it means…
临 lin2 FACE OVERLOOK ARRIVE 监 jian1 HARD JAIL SUPERVISE DIRECT CONTROL (look alikes with similar significations)
临 lin2 监 jian1 临 L.ook I.ts N.ot OVERLOOK FACE ARRIVE ABOUT TO 临 This is a highly stylized and…
Strategic Sounds with Similar Significations: 几乎, 计划 and 机会
几乎 almost ji1hu1 (how many/much+at) 计划 strategy ji4hua4 (calculate+delimit) 机会 opportunity ji1hui4 (machine meeting)
氐 底 氏 shi 派 民 foundation background clan party nation
氐 di 到底 dao di 氏 shi 派对 pai dui 民族 min zu These vocabulary look alike but sound different…
Connected Clashing Characters (Dissonance)
合给答含 he2 gei3 da2 han2 谷俗 gu3 su2 容溶 rong2 合 he close mouth on top with something inside it…
Tall Bridge for Emigrant Chinese 乔桥侨 q.uite i.mpressive a.ltitude o.ver
齐匀习羽勺刁 qi2 yun2 xi2 yu3 shao2 diao1 桥乔侨 qiao2 娇轿骄 jiao1 jiao4 jiao1 齐匀习羽勺刁 齐qi means level, neat, even; it…
艰 jian1 : difficult, hard, hardship
艰 jian1 stumbled on a stubborn stump in the ground looked down grabbed with my hand HARDSHIP is J.ust I.ncredibaly…
带常堂 Belt Often Great-Hall 鱼龟黾 蝇 fish frog toad fly (easily confused characters…)
带常堂 belt often great-hall dai4 chang2 tang2 Belt and Often look similar but are different in sound and meaning. Belt…
需要，隔离，and 买到。
需要 require， 隔离 separate 买到 purchase Rain on a beard? Snow sweeper MUST Xu1. 需 Booze on top of a…
乂义 丈 史 吏 使更 便 govern justice husband historian civil servant ambassador more convenient
乂义丈史吏使更便 in this character series we see the unfolding of an abstract concept into its various concrete instances. Meanings: govern…
“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” is a bad translation.
子曰、非禮 勿視、非禮勿聽、非禮勿言、非禮勿動。 “The words of Confucius: Do not look at that which is improper, do not listen to that…
白日何短短，百年苦易满。
Bright day is how short? So short. Thousand years full of hardship Vault of heaven so vast Thousand thieves too…
You will know the truth
and the truth will set you free. I never said you would like the truth. I also never promised riches,…
Getting My Goat: KFTG.
羊 goat 羊肉 goat meat 群 crowd 群众 masses 海洋 ocean 海洋馆 customs house 怎么样 how about 不怎么样 not much…
佥: 检, 俭, 捡, 剑, 脸, 险, 签, 验 J.udgement, I.nspection A.nd selectioN
佥 qian1 all 检 jian3 check inspect examine 俭 jian3 frugal thrifty 捡 jian3 collect gather 剑 jian4 sword 脸…
12 earthly branches mnemonics
子丑寅卯辰巳午未申由戌亥 Zi chǒu yín mǎo chén sì wǔ wèi shēn yóu xū hài z ch y m ch s w…
北斗七星 the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper Ursa Major
北斗七星 bei dou qi xing ursa major 天枢 SKY PIVOT (贪狼 voracious wolf) 天璇 HEAVENLY JADE (巨门 big gate) 天玑…
真 zhen1 其 qi2 具ju4
These three characters look alike and are high frequency, they are good characters for judgement. 真 zhen1 is originally an…
List of Chinese huiyizi (associative idea characters)
Hui yi zi are those characters formed by combining two other characters to express some meaning common to both; the…
O.bserve M.y G.lorious NET罒
罒 It is the observant eye of providence looking upon the glorious realm for any who violate law entrapping such…
劳工阶级
劳工阶级 lao2gong4 jie4ji2 the working class labor arbeit obrero LABOR TOIL WORK 劳 who has power in the farmer’s stall?…
生死有命 富贵在天 1334
生死有命 sheng si you ming birth and death are fated 富贵在天 fu gui zai tian riches and honor in heaven…
heart radical
心快慢情忙 xin heart kuai quick man slow qing emotion wang forget (mang blind) 内心慢慢感觉到情绪，然后很快忘记 冒mao4 曼漫慢man4 mao hat man long…
形声字、以事为名、取譬相成、江河是也
“形声字、以事为名、取譬相成、江河是也” Pictophonetic characters are so named because they are chosen to complement each other by example; e.g. Yangtze, river. ——…
盜 dao drooling and obnoxious THIEF
盜 dao Thief. It is literally an image of a thief drooling on top of a gold bowl. Top left…
无为而治 don’t worry: GOVERNANCE.
无为而治 [wú wéi ér zhì] govern by doing nothing that goes against nature link-word: worry memotechnique: don’t worry W.hats…
监 篮 蓝 surveiller et punir
监 篮 蓝 jian1 lan2 lan2 This character series has been simplified beyond recognition. The bottom part min dish pan…
Chinese word order STPMVO memotechnique
Chinese word order is S.ubject T.ime P.lace M.anner V.erb O.bject. STP is a famous brand of motor oil. STP Motor…
思念是一种病 Missing you is a kind of sickness
思念 si nian to miss (someone) 是 shi is 一 yi a 种 zhong type 病 bing sickness “My mama…
Ash Wednesday 天地社会
里 li3 dirt tu3 土 IN a field 田tian2 In, Lining the idea is also the LIning INside of a…
in the FALL i am WORRIED 秋 愁
in the FALL 秋 i am WORRIED 愁 Qiu 秋 Autumn = grain + fire (bonfire’s in fall as symbol…
Ke4! shang ke!
克 this ke is the CONQUEROR’S HELMET it means DOMINATE CONQUER SUBDUE RESTRAIN 课 this ke is the FRUIT OF…
妙语如珠 Clever words like pearls 女少 言五口 女口 王朱
妙语如珠 clever words are like pearls Miao4 yu3 ru2 zhu1 妙 miao4 clever My, Intelligent Amazing Observation CLEVER woman on…
Coronavirus
㳄 xian2 kou shui de yi si 口水的意思 Xian isn’t in CEDict, I haven’t checked in Pleco or GoldenDict yet.…
tishoupang vocabulary
打人 da4 strike hit 扒手 ba1 ; pa2 grasp; steal 扛东西 kang2 ; gang1 carry ashoulder; raise up with both…
日有所思夜游所梦 Days of thoughts and nights of dreams.
日有所思 lit: day has thus thoughts. In other words: day-to-day there are thought. we think every day / in the…
骏马奔腾来报 万事顺心又如意 The Noble Steed Gallops Forth To Report
骏马奔腾来报 jun4 ma3 ben1 teng2 lai2 bao4 万事顺心又如意 wan4 shi4 shun4 xin1 you4 ru2 yi4 “The Noble Steed Gallops Forth…
Game Theory
Antolf, Antolf Hiveler, and Hiveler are trademarks of “You XI Games” and Eric Engle, author of “The Rise of the…
Cheng Yu for ”More Heat than Light” (Wuhan)
反映 reflect fan3ying4
反应 react
fan3ying4 反 strike grab palm the cliff (stopped by opposition) 映 central light returns to…
Translation Exercise: Solution Set 山
猕猴国家二级重点保护野生动物 Míhóu guójiā èr jí zhòngdiǎn bǎohù yěshēng dòngwù “Macaques are second degree nationally protected wild animals.” XXIIEE 义杉义
Translation Exercise: 秘境
“don’t you monkey with the monkey” – Peter Gabriel Draw your own conclusions.
Fermi’s Paradox (Redux)
We are probably not alone but also probably hundreds of light years at least from the nearest advanced civilization so…
YEAR OF THE RAT
Gongxi Gongxi Gongxi Ni!
由聯想 字 Cognitive Association of Characters
由聯想 字 = you2 lian2xiang3 zi you2 cause origin source reason following from; one view is this is an ancient…
樹倒猢猻散
Thanks upline! I love you so much and couldn’t do any of it without you! INBOUND TRADTIONAL OUTBOUND Q. 樹…
恐怖分子 “which way the WIND blows”
恐 fear kong Gong on top left is phonetic. 工 Wind or knife on the right shows the wind of…
MON KEY
On the left is the dog determinant: it’s used for four legged furry animals. On the right is hou which…
Vocab w/linkword and concept mnemonics
成功 TO ATTAIN MERIT 旅行 clan flag posted+crossroads=tourism 互联网 hulianwang isn’t WLAN but rhymes. 既然 seit dann jiran 继续 continue jixu…
Nemo me impune lacessit. KF
At my friends I bark loudly; to warn them. But at my enemies, I bite, without barking.
WHAT omission
W.hite => hit H.atred =>red A.s T.errorism =>error =>is m. A CARE LESS ERR OR
白云苍狗 Cheng Yu
Chinese proverbs are often expressed as four character set-expressions. These are called “cheng yu”. Unlike most other languages such proverbs…
6 methods
象形字 pictogram 指事字 ideogram; symbol (indicative character) 会意字 associative idea character; combined ideogram 形声字 pictophonetic character; keyed hieroglyph 转注…
Vocabulary List
基础 招股书 拓展 tuozhan expend 奠定基础 打下基础 基础设施 融资 financing rongzi 云集 微店付费委员 继店 社交 电商 商店 赴约 上线 online…
Kangxi Radicals (Bushou)
Can you learn 214 new letters? Yes you can! Are these 214 letters the basis of ALL other Chinese characters?…
The Three Character Classic 三 字 经 (Zero)
三 字 经 (three character classic) my translation. This is a work in progress. Sanzijing is the canonical children’s school…
Sober to Somber and WHAT to avoid
SABER SOBER SOMBER BOMBER
东拉西扯 East Pull West Tear
东拉西扯 Guilty as charged. This one means idle chit chat; idle about, do nothing but gossip, talk, chat; to drag…
All HSK
HSK1 的 一 是 在 了 有 人 不 国 中 大 年 上 这 个 我 和 日 时…
Review Your Hanzi!
You must repeat something 8 times to remember it. Memory is improved by transforming that to be remembered into some…
人的正确思想是从哪里来的? Where do correct ideas come from?
人的正确思想是从哪里来的? 人 people 的 of, from 正 upright 确 solid (stone+horn=solid) 思thought (my work is on my heart) 想belief (similar…
Transposition Tables: SABER RATTLING
How would one go from SOBER to SABER? Using matrix algebra a problem like this is probably trivial. But could…
实践论 On Practice
实 reality, fact 践 tread, walk 论 theory / discussion The theory of practice shijian lun 论 lun discuss 认识…
National Socialist Democratic Workers Party
Did you see what I did there?
Keyed Columnar Transposition: 密封
密 a bamboo spear handle 必 which must be properly formed underneath a roof 宀 on top of a mountain…
Name as yet unmentioned
WALTS plain text (private, vulnerable to frequency attacks) AAAAT key (private, invulnerable) WALTZ ciphertext (public) This illustrates a weakness in…
Bull in a China Shop
A Bull, of course, is a mafia enforcer. By a strange twist of fate Bulle just-so-happens to be German…
List of Reduplicated Hanzi
list of reduplicated hanzi 炎 从 众 品 磊 双 This is a list of han characters which repeat themselves.…
复杂 IT’S COMPLICATED.
复杂 fuza complicated 复 folded over reduplicated – worker walking around a rotating tool in the middle depicted as 日…
T.ailored A.ccess O.perations 讨
讨论 T.ailored A.ccess O.perations L.inked U.nderground N.odes tongues turning around a wheel 轮 village vies 乡村 words measured 言寸了 words…
Generating Cribs from a Known Plain-Text: in Chinese
Suppose we have obtained a plain text GARDENER for which we know its enciphered value, but do not have the…
Is Santa Claus .. CHINESE? Yes! Let me show you the evidence!
Is Santa Claus .. CHINESE? Let me show you the evidence! 1) Notorious for wearing RED. 2) Loaded down with…
Typo from Hypo…
If AL maps to AF (AL=>AF) then ALL maps to AFF in a monoalphabetic substitution cipher. But in a polyalphabetic…
tree+ax=analyze析 standing+tree=relative亲 relative+ax=new新
析 析 xi1 ANALYZE chop wood into bits to analyze them. tree to the left 木mu4 ax to the right…
杏 xing4 Apricot, Almond
杏 Xing4 Apricot, Almond H.ere’s S.ome I.nteresting N.ew G.ood ALMOND, APRICOT Top tree 木mu resembles a branch and leaves Bottom…
Cannot unsee. 留学生門 , 遛狗。
today i learned that overseas students 留学生門 are, well, a bit like dogs, dogs out for a walk 遛狗。
Demonography
妖 demon 鬼 ghost 魔鬼 devil 吸血鬼 vampire 精灵 elf, sprite, pixie 天使 angel 龙 dragon 凤凰 phoenix 女神 goddess…
List of Chinese Pictograms
I am sure there must be more pictograms than just these. However, this is the closest I have found so…
Associative Idea Characters (会意字）
临 face overlook lin2 乂 regulate govern control yi 乎 question particle, doubt hu1 乍 first time suddenly zha 乔…
丕pi1 grand 胚pei1 embryo
丕 P.retty I.mmense GRAND Compare 亘gen the sun stretching from sky to earth stretching from horizon to horizon stretching all…