Analysis of Major Characters and Words (第五课)

Analysis of Major Characters and Words (第六课)

4. 楼梯楼 (“storied building”) + 梯 (“[wooden] ladder”) -> “ladders in stairwell”

-> “stairway; staircases”

5. 走廊走 (“walk”) + 廊 (the “open roof” radical 广) -> “corridor, veranda”

7. 打招呼招 (the “hand” radical -> “wave (with a hand), beckon”) + 呼 (the

“mouth” radical 口 -> “call, cry, shout”) -> “to greet”

9. 开玩笑开 (“to [crack] open”) + 玩 (“play; playful”) + 笑 (“laughter”) -> “to

incite playful laughter” -> “to crack a joke”

12. 隔壁隔 (“to divide, to partition”) + 壁 (the “earth; soil” 土 radical at the bottom

-> “[earthen] wall”) -> “a dividing wall”-> “next door; next-door neighbor”

15. 比赛比 (pictograph: two persons sitting next to each other -> “to juxtapose” ->

“to compare”) + 赛 (“match, race, contest”) -> “to compete; competition”

16. 激动激 (the “water” radical -> “surge or dash [of water]” -> “to excite, agitate”)

+ 动 (“to stir, to act, to move”) -> “ to be excited”

18. 受影响受 (ideograph: hand at top, another hand at the bottom, a tray in the

Middle -> “to receive [something from another person]” + 影 (the “lace”

radical on the right -> “lacing; shadow, silhouette” -> “in the shadow of”)

+ 响 (the “mouth” radical -> “to echo”) -> “to be under the influence”

19. 赶紧赶 (the “run; walk” radical 走 -> “make someone run” -> “to hurry”) + 紧

(the “thread” radical 系 at the bottom -> “to tighten [the threads]” ->

“pressing, urgent”) -> “in a hurried fashion; right away”

20. 翻到翻 (the “feather; wing” radical 羽, which is shaped like a pair of wings” ->

“(of birds) turn over wings” -> “to turn over”)

28. 地毯地 (“floor; ground; field”) + 毯 (“blanket” as in 毯子) -> “blanket on the

floor” -> “carpet; rug”

38. 理想理 (“reason; sense; theory”) + 想 (“think”) -> “only in thinking” -> “ideal”

39. 瞒瞒 (the “eye” radical 目 -> “to blindfold”) -> “to hide the truth from”

47. 环境环 (the “jade” radical 玉 -> “circular” [The best of ancient Chinese jade

ware were mostly in round shape] -> “to surround, to environ”) + 境

(the “earth; soil” 土 radical -> “land; estate”) -> “the surrounding land” ->

“surroundings; environment”

52. 交通交 (pictograph: cross-legged -> “cross; cross over”) + 通 (“through”) ->

“transportation; communication”