203) 氺

shui

water

A different form of “water 水 [shuǐ]” which is used only in combination with other characters. Occurrence is rare.

203a) 录

lu

record

hand 彐 →⺕³⁶[symbol] + water 氺 [shuǐ]

Ancient inscriptions show carving or recording something on woods by hand (彐), and “氺” does not seem to suggest water but rather wood particles spraying outward during carving.

203y-132j*) 绿

lu

green

thread 纟 [sī] + record 录^203a[lù]

The Chinese dyed fabric or threads (纟) and this character meaning ‘green’ gets its pronunciation from “录.”

203bx) 寸

cun

inch; joint

hand

203zx) 玉

yu

203z-198b*) 球

qiu

ball, sphere, globe

jade 王¹⁰⁸→玉 [yù] + ask 求^203b[qiú]

Jade (玉) balls or globes were the most popular and easy-to-get (求) jade items in the ancient times.

204) 气

qi

gas; air; breathe

Symbolizes clouds or water vapor rising up in the air – derived to mean air or gas in general

204a) 汽

qi

steam, vapor

water 氵²⁰²[shuǐ] + gas 气 [qì]

Water (氵) becomes form of air (气) – steam – and rises upward.

204y-182c*) 飞

fei

fly

a big bird flying above with its wings wide open.

205) 雨

yu

rain

Combination of raindrops (丶) falling(symbol) from the sky (一) – meaning rain.

205a) 雪

xue

snow

rain 雨 [yǔ] + hand ⺕³⁶[jì]

A somewhat poetic expression; snow is a form of rain (雨) that can be touched by hand (⺕).

205yx) 令

ling

command, order

205y-86c*) 零

ling

zero; 0

rain 雨²⁰⁵[yǔ] + command 令 [lìng]

Commands (令) come from top down, just like rain (雨) from the sky. When you count down from a large number, you are bound to reach zero.

205zx) 而

er

and

beard

205z-9b*) 需

xu

need

rain 雨²⁰⁵[yǔ] + beard/and 而 [ér]

the leader endlessly demanding for rain (雨) through his beard (而) out of need for water.

206) 冫

bing

206ax) 水

shui

206a) 冰

bing

ice

ice 冫[bīng] + water 水²⁰¹[shuǐ]

As temperature drops below zero, water (水) becomes ice (冫).

206yx) 令

ling

206y-86b*) 冷

leng

cold

ice 冫²⁰⁶[bīng] + command 令 [lìng]

However softly put, a command (令) or an order is always as cold as ice (冫).

206zx) 京

jing

capital

large

206z) 凉

liang

cool

ice 冫²⁰⁶[bīng] + large/capital 京 [jīng]

A large building (京) with a high ceiling and thick walls is cool like ice (冫)

206wx) 隹

zhui

206w-178c*) 准

zhun

standard

ice 冫²⁰⁶[bīng] + bird 隹 [zhuī]

When temperatures fall below standard temperature such as freezing (冫) point, migratory birds (隹) prepare to fly away to warmer territories.

206bx) 艸

cao

206bxx) 宀

mian

206b) 寒

han

cold

house 宀¹⁴¹[mián] + grass 艹²⁰⁷→艸 [cǎo] + ice 冫[bīng]

Symbolizes how ice (冫) cold wind still blows into a house (宀), even when the inside is insulated by stacks of hay (→茻).

206cx) 土

tu

206c) 塞

sai

fill in

house 宀 [mián] + grass 艹²⁰⁷→艸 [cǎo] + soil 土 [tǔ]

Bricks, created by mixing hays (→茻) with clay (土), are used to fill in the gaps and holes in a house (宀). 

206dx) 贝

bei

shell

currency

206d) 赛

sai

compete

fort 塞 [sài] + currency/shell 贝¹⁸⁶[bèi]

A border fortress (塞) between two nations attracts merchants and traders to buy and sell goods from each nation. Symbolizes how people are trying to compete in order to earn the money (贝).

206e) 冬

dong

winter

walk slowly 夂⁵⁶[zhǐ] + ice 冫[bīng]

In the bitter cold (冫) of winter, people tend to curl up and walk slow (夂).

206y-81b*) 疼

teng

pain

sick 疒 [chuáng] + winter 冬^206e[dōng]

A man in pain from a cold (疒) during winter (冬).

206f) 图

tu

picture

enclose 囗²⁰[wéi] + winter 冬 [dōng]

Symbolizes a picture or a drawing, by an object enclosed (囗) inside a canvas and staying still as if frozen (冬).

206g) 终

zhong

end, finish

thread 纟¹³²[sī] + winter 冬 [dōng]

The character, “冬[dōng]” used to mean ‘to end or to finish’ by making knots at the ends of thread, but its meaning was transformed into its original meaning ‘winter’ by addition of a thread (纟).