水

shui

water

水流 water flow; 水滴 water drop;  水分子 water molecule; 

喝水 to drink water; 滴水穿石 dripping water pierces stone

a visual and conceptual archetype of fluidity, symbolizes water by representing water flowing in rivers (水).

永

yong

forever, eternal

永远 forever; 永恒 eternity; 永无止境 endless; 永别 a final farewell

A single drop (丶) enters  (一) a stream of water (水) that runs forever — that’s 永: the symbol of eternal movement

泳

yong

to swim

游泳 swimming (literally: to swim + swim); 自由泳 freestyle swimming

泳装 swimsuit (commercial/formal); 泳衣 swimsuit (casual/personal) 

You’re in the water (氵), making smooth flowing movements like the never-ending (永) motion of waves — that’s swimming

白

bai

white

a white small spot in the sun

泉

quan

fountain, spring

泉水 spring water; 温泉 hot spring;  源泉 source of knowledge

a pure white (白) water (水) bubbling from the ground  — that's a spring (泉): fresh, clean, and natural

厂

change

cliff, slope

factory, plant

Simplified form of 廠, spacious 敞(phonetic) shed 广

A cliff with stones jutting out at the edge

A factory is a place where products are stacked like cliffs (厂).

原

yuan

origin(al), source

plain

 原子 atom – lit. original seed;  高原 plateau; 平原 plain; 

原件 original document; 原因 cause, reason; 

on a high cliff (厂) there is a spring (泉) as a source of fresh and pure water

愿

yuan

to wish, to hope

desire

愿望 wish/aspiration; 心愿 a heartfelt wish; 许愿 to make a wish

自愿 voluntary (lit. self-wished; sacrificial willingness); 

情愿 willingly (general willingness; preference)

what originates (原) from the heart (心) is the urge to wish, to hope, and to desire