211) 东

dong

east

Symbolizes a sack (小) with its mouth tied (symbol) up. East, an abstract concept of direction, was something difficult to represent by symbols, and so this character was taken due to its identical pronunciation. Used together with “west 西170[xī],” which was a very common type of pottery that can be seen in any directions, to mean things in general.

211a) 束

shu

bind, tie

tree 木²¹⁰[mù] + bundle 口 [symbol]

Symbolizes how tree (木) branches are tied and bound (口) together for easier transportation.

211yx) 攵

pu

211yxx) 正

zheng

211y-54a*) 整

zheng

orderly; whole

bind 束 [shù] + strike 攵⁵⁰[pū] + right 正 [zhèng]

To tie wood in bundles (束) and tap the ends (攵) so they are easy to carry means to put in order, which is the right (正) thing to do. As bundles of wood become one, it also means ‘whole.

211bx) 欠

qian

211b) 嗽

sou

cough

mouth 口¹⁶[kǒu] + bind 束 [shù] + yawn 欠²³[qiàn]

Symbolizes an animal coughing with its mouth (口) wide (欠) open when hunters or butchers tie (束) its neck with string

letter; card

bind 束 [shù] + item 丶 [symbol]

Only necessary items (丶) are selected when packing (束) things into a sack. Also derived to mean letter, in a sense that only selected words are actually written down when writing a formal letter.

211zx) 练

lian

practice

thread 纟 [sī] + select =柬^221c[jiǎn]

To make silk, the thread (纟) has to be extracted from the silkworm’s cocoon and this is done by soaking them in boiling water. The time has to be estimated (symbol) correctly and that requires much practice.

211d) 炼

lian

refine

fire 火¹⁵⁸[huǒ] + select =柬 [jiǎn]

Impurities can be selectively (柬) removed by melting a metal with fire (火) – the process of refining metal.

212) 林

lin

forest

tree 木²¹⁰[mù] + tree 木 [mù]

Two trees (木) are combined to symbolize forest.

212yx) 疋

???

212y) 楚 / 清楚

chu / qingchu

neat, orderly /clear

212ax) 广

guang

212a) 麻 / 麻木

ma / mamu

hemp (konoplja); numbness

house/broad 广¹⁴³[guǎng] + skin of hemp stem 朩 [děng]

Symbolizes women processing the bark (朩) of hemp stems to produce strings in a house (广). Hemp leaves and flowers also contain anesthetic substance, which led into meaning for numbness.

212b) 嘛

ma

<modal paraticle>

mouth 口¹⁶[kǒu] + numb/hemp 麻 [má]

Symbolizes saying words (口) that can numb (麻) people – signifying something is numbingly clear to everyone. Used as modal particle at the end of sentences to emphasize previous statements such as “reasoning, justice or morality and facts.”

212z-40d*) 树

shu

tree

tree 木²¹⁰[mù] + hand/again 又³⁴[yòu] + hand/joint 寸 [cùn]

One is planting a tree (木) with two hands (又, 寸).

212wx) 夂

zhi

212w-56c*) 条

tiao

article; twig

foot/walk slowly 夂 [zhǐ] + tree 木²¹⁰[mù]

Feet (夂) carefully stepping on twigs to climb a tree (木). This character is also used to count long and thin objects or living things like branches

212c) 乐 / 音乐

le / yue // yinyue

music; laugh

drum with tassel  [symbol] + stand 朩 [symbol]

Music is symbolized by a drum (symbol) with decoration standing on a drumstand (朩)

212dx) 米

mi

212d) 来

lai

come, arrive

tree 木²¹⁰[mù] + rice 米¹³⁸[mǐ]

Symbolizes barley, which is a crop (木) similar to rice (米). Barley bears its grain in spring after long winter, signifying that long-sought spring is coming with barley.

213) 几

ji

(small) table; a few; how many

Symbolizes a small table with its feet stretched out.

213a) 机

ji

machine

tree 木²¹⁰[mù] + table 几 [jǐ

A machine made of wood (木) is placed on top of work table (几).

213b) 凡

fan

ordinary; all, every

 Symbolizes the shape of a sail on a boat that gives power through wind. Derived to mean ordinary, as wind is a very ordinary source of power that exists everywhere.

213c) 风

feng

wind

sail/ordinary 凡 [fán] + shape of wind 㐅 [symbol]

Symbolizes the shape of a fully inflated (㐅) sail (凡) with strong wind.