Chinese characters : learn & remember 2,178 characters and their meanings : how to retain the meanings for more than 2000 of the most common characters in Mandarin Chinese

A systematic, building block-style plan for mastering the most daunting aspect of learning Chinese--how to remember the meaning of more than 2,000 of the most common characters--is provided in this handbook. Beginning with the simplest of strokes, such as those for numbers, scepter, and earth, and progressing to the extremely complex, such as destroy, insert, and mouse, this manual presents a methodology employing memory techniques to associate meanings with the characters' visual components. A sequence of numbered panels displays each character in two font styles, and a notation in the adjacent margin describes the character's pinyin pronunciation. Graphics that identify the components or characters from which the featured characters are drawn, and a listing of both the names of these root components, and the panel numbers that cite their location in the book augment the presentation. Beginners will be best served by using this guide in conjunction with the development of language skills, while those who are familiar with the language will find this book to be a comprehensive reference and refresher. Front Cover......Page 1 Copyright Page......Page 3 Preface......Page 6 Table of Contents......Page 8 Back Cover......Page 508 Read Me First!......Page 12 Abbreviations Used......Page 19 1 New Beginnings......Page 20 2 Onion-Like Layers......Page 22 3 Curiouser and Curiouser......Page 25 4 Action and Inaction......Page 28 5 Moving and Standing Still......Page 31 6 Up and Down......Page 35 7 From Side to Side......Page 39 8 Getting Stroked......Page 44 9 Wordplay and Word Play......Page 49 10 In Nature’s Realm......Page 54 11 More and More......Page 59 12 Coming to Terms......Page 64 13 Practice Makes Perfect......Page 69 14 Hit the Ground Running......Page 74 15 There’s Always a Tomorrow......Page 79 16 A Fighting Chance......Page 84 17 Notions and Trifles......Page 89 18 A Mighty Fortress.........Page 94 19 Movers and Shakers......Page 99 20 Looking Good......Page 104 21 A Time to Sow, a Time to Reap......Page 109 22 A Time to Sew, a Time to Rip......Page 114 23 Cleaning the Sewers......Page 119 24 Bits and Bytes......Page 124 25 Clean Living......Page 129 26 Fame and Fortune......Page 134 27 Saving Face......Page 139 28 Dogs and Cats......Page 144 29 Doing Something About the Weather......Page 149 30 One Door Closes, Another Opens......Page 153 31 Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better......Page 158 32 Let Your Fingers Do the Walking......Page 162 33 Here and There......Page 167 34 Animate and Inanimate......Page 172 35 Stop and Go......Page 177 36 A Picture is Worth One Thousand Words......Page 182 37 Time Waits for No Man......Page 187 38 Prophet and Profit......Page 192 39 Less is More......Page 197 40 Curves and Straightaways......Page 9 41 Mighty Fine......Page 207 42 Sooner or Later......Page 212 43 Silence is Golden......Page 217 44 A Slice of Life......Page 222 45 Looking Good......Page 227 46 Twenty-four/Seven......Page 232 47 Keeping Up......Page 237 48 Not So Fast!......Page 242 49 Hills and Dales......Page 247 50 Clever Ducks......Page 252 51 Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral......Page 257 52 A Veritable United Nations......Page 262 53 Looking on the Bright Side......Page 267 54 Tomorrow is Another Day......Page 272 55 Power of Suggestion......Page 277 56 A Bird in the Hand......Page 282 57 Whatever You Say......Page 287 58 Big Doings......Page 292 59 Not So Fast!......Page 297 60 Slow Down and Smell the Flowers......Page 302 61 Buy Now, Pay Later......Page 307 62 In the Blink of an Eye......Page 312 63 One World, One Dream......Page 317 64 Life is Like a Dream......Page 322 65 Stopping and Starting......Page 326 66 Big Doings......Page 331 67 Masculine and Feminine......Page 336 68 Widdershins......Page 341 69 Arms Akimbo......Page 346 70 The Thing Speaks for Itself......Page 351 71 Curiouser and Curiouser, Too......Page 356 72 August Moon......Page 361 73 Righteous Anger......Page 366 74 Quaint Histories......Page 371 75 Dance of Death......Page 376 76 Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth......Page 381 77 Categorical Imperatives......Page 386 78 Shadowy Realms......Page 391 79 Two Up, Three Down......Page 396 80 Step by Step......Page 401 81 Poise......Page 406 82 Prickly Personifications......Page 411 83 A Musical Comedy Administration......Page 416 84 Foolish Consistencies......Page 421 85 Silhouettes and Shadows......Page 426 86 The Wretched of the Earth......Page 430 87 Autumnal Thoughts......Page 435 88 Pacific Overtures......Page 440 89 Urban Trendsetters......Page 445 90 Dastardly Effects......Page 450 91 Finale Ultimo......Page 455 Appendix: On-line Resources......Page 459 Indices of Components and Definitions......Page 463 Component Index......Page 464 Definition Index......Page 465 Pin Yin Index......Page 483 Quick Order Form ......Page 505 Front Cover 1 Copyright Page 3 Preface 6 Table of Contents 8 Back Cover 508 Preface 6 Read Me First! 12 Abbreviations Used 19 1 New Beginnings 20 2 Onion-Like Layers 22 3 Curiouser and Curiouser 25 4 Action and Inaction 28 5 Moving and Standing Still 31 6 Up and Down 35 7 From Side to Side 39 8 Getting Stroked 44 9 Wordplay and Word Play 49 10 In Nature’s Realm 54 11 More and More 59 12 Coming to Terms 64 13 Practice Makes Perfect 69 14 Hit the Ground Running 74 15 There’s Always a Tomorrow 79 16 A Fighting Chance 84 17 Notions and Trifles 89 18 A Mighty Fortress... 94 19 Movers and Shakers 99 20 Looking Good 104 21 A Time to Sow, a Time to Reap 109 22 A Time to Sew, a Time to Rip 114 23 Cleaning the Sewers 119 24 Bits and Bytes 124 25 Clean Living 129 26 Fame and Fortune 134 27 Saving Face 139 28 Dogs and Cats 144 29 Doing Something About the Weather 149 30 One Door Closes, Another Opens 153 31 Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better 158 32 Let Your Fingers Do the Walking 162 33 Here and There 167 34 Animate and Inanimate 172 35 Stop and Go 177 36 A Picture is Worth One Thousand Words 182 37 Time Waits for No Man 187 38 Prophet and Profit 192 39 Less is More 197 40 Curves and Straightaways 9 41 Mighty Fine 207 42 Sooner or Later 212 43 Silence is Golden 217 44 A Slice of Life 222 45 Looking Good 227 46 Twenty-four/Seven 232 47 Keeping Up 237 48 Not So Fast! 242 49 Hills and Dales 247 50 Clever Ducks 252 51 Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral 257 52 A Veritable United Nations 262 53 Looking on the Bright Side 267 54 Tomorrow is Another Day 272 55 Power of Suggestion 277 56 A Bird in the Hand 282 57 Whatever You Say 287 58 Big Doings 292 59 Not So Fast! 297 60 Slow Down and Smell the Flowers 302 61 Buy Now, Pay Later 307 62 In the Blink of an Eye 312 63 One World, One Dream 317 64 Life is Like a Dream 322 65 Stopping and Starting 326 66 Big Doings 331 67 Masculine and Feminine 336 68 Widdershins 341 69 Arms Akimbo 346 70 The Thing Speaks for Itself 351 71 Curiouser and Curiouser, Too 356 72 August Moon 361 73 Righteous Anger 366 74 Quaint Histories 371 75 Dance of Death 376 76 Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth 381 77 Categorical Imperatives 386 78 Shadowy Realms 391 79 Two Up, Three Down 396 80 Step by Step 401 81 Poise 406 82 Prickly Personifications 411 83 A Musical Comedy Administration 416 84 Foolish Consistencies 421 85 Silhouettes and Shadows 426 86 The Wretched of the Earth 430 87 Autumnal Thoughts 435 88 Pacific Overtures 440 89 Urban Trendsetters 445 90 Dastardly Effects 450 91 Finale Ultimo 455 Appendix: On-line Resources 459 Indices of Components and Definitions 463 Component Index 464 Definition Index 465 Pin Yin Index 483 Quick Order Form 505 Back Cover 508 þÿ