Pinyin initial: "xi"

The Pinyin initial "xi" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "xi" belongs to the group of Pinyin initials which are represented in mnemonics by women. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "xi" can appear in.

Mnemonics for xi

Xi is for Marie Curie.
Alternative mnemonic for xi: Xi Shi (西施), one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China.

Characters with xi

variant of 銜|衔[xian2]
bit (of a bridle) / to hold in the mouth / to harbor (feelings) / to link / to accept / rank / title

= + : When Marie Curie (xi) goes to war she always puts on her seven-league boots (行) in the anthill's kitchen (an2), puts her golden harpoon (钅) into her mouth like the bit of a bridle (衔) and gets going. For being so fast at the battle field she has been awarded a very high rank (衔) and a special title (衔).
variant of 銜|衔[xian2]
(bound form) to raid; to attack / (bound form) to continue the pattern; to perpetuate / (literary) classifier for suits of clothing or sets of bedding

= + : Marie Curie (xi) and the dragon (龙) are taking part in a reenactment just inside the space station's entrance (Ø2). They celebrate Scottish wrestling by wearing kilts (衣) and attacking (袭) each other using awesome moves.
demonic / iniquitous / nefarious / evil / unhealthy influences that cause disease (Chinese medicine) / (coll.) strange / abnormal

= + : Marie Curie (xi) meets the Imperator (阝) in the elevator's kitchen (e2) and instantly knows he's possessed by a demon (邪) by how large his fangs (牙) have become.
old variant of 邪[xie2]

= + : Marie Curie (xi) meets the Imperator (阝) in the elevator's kitchen (e2) and instantly knows he's possessed by a demon (邪) by how large his fangs (牙) have become.
laugh / smile / CL:個|个[ge4]

= + : In the aorta's bathroom, Marie Curie tells Snow White a story how she once hoaxed the whole university into believing that her simple bamboo stick can be used as fuel assembly in a nuclear reactor. She can't stop laughing while she tells her story.

= + : This character just looks like a certain laughing cat: ⺮ are the eyes and 夭 looks like the snout.
old variant of 笑[xiao4]

= + : This character just looks like a certain laughing cat: ⺮ are the eyes and 夭 looks like the snout.

= + : In the aorta's bathroom, Marie Curie tells Snow White a story how she once hoaxed the whole university into believing that her simple bamboo stick can be used as fuel assembly in a nuclear reactor. She can't stop laughing while she tells her story.
to laugh; to smile / to laugh at
variant of 線|线[xian4]

线 = + : Mnemonic symbol: barbed wire.

线 = + : The silk worm wants to use the floating tank in the anthill's bathroom, but there's already Marie Curie inside—and she secured the tank by setting up barbed wire all around it.
thread / string / wire / line / CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3],根[gen1] / (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)

线 = + : The silk worm wants to use the floating tank in the anthill's bathroom, but there's already Marie Curie inside—and she secured the tank by setting up barbed wire all around it.

线 = + : Mnemonic symbol: barbed wire.
handsome / refined / elegant / graceful / superior / show (loanword) / CL:場|场[chang2] / (literary) to grow / to bloom / (of crops) to produce ears

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a talent show.

Marie Curie (xi) is preparing for her performance (秀) in a talent show (秀) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4). She will be juggling lots of bowls of cereals (禾) without spilling the cereals. Her secret is that she convinced a poltergeist (乃) to help her, which will make itself invisible during the show and handle the cereals for her.
to breathe / to suck in / to absorb / to inhale

= + : Just when Marie Curie (xi) and Yuwen Huaji (及) were on a space trip in front of the space station (Ø1) they encountered an emergency: the failure of their oxygen supply. Their last hope is a hollow mandarin (口) they brought, out of which they suck (吸) their oxygen.
variant of 繡|绣[xiu4]

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is preparing for an embroidery (绣) talent show (秀) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4). She prepares by hiding a silk worm (纟) in her sleeve which will secretly do all the embroidering for her.
to embroider / embroidery

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is preparing for an embroidery (绣) talent show (秀) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4). She prepares by hiding a silk worm (纟) in her sleeve which will secretly do all the embroidering for her.
to corrode / to rust

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is demonstrating in a talent show (秀) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4) how she can magically remove the rust (锈) from a golden harpoon (钅) by dipping it in the toilet. Her secret is that she poured the right chemicals in the toilet earlier.
to rest / to take a break / to stop / to halt / (dialect) to sleep / a moment / a short while

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is gambling on a quiz wheel (曷) in front of the elevator (e1). As she turns the wheel and it turns out that she will have to pay a great debt, she says "give me a break" (歇), leaves an IOU note (欠) instead and lies down in the grass to relax a bit (歇).
miserable / desolate / dreary / Chinese mugwort

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is very miserable (萧) due to the economic crisis (萧). In front of the aorta (ao1) she has nothing left to eat but a sheet of artificial lawn (艹). She first cleans it up (肃) before miserably eating bits and pieces off the artificial lawn.
surname Xiao

= + : Marie Curie (xi) is very miserable (萧) due to the economic crisis (萧). In front of the aorta (ao1) she has nothing left to eat but a sheet of artificial lawn (艹). She first cleans it up (肃) before miserably eating bits and pieces off the artificial lawn.
to hiss / to whistle

= + : Marie Curie (xi) found a mandarin (口) in the aorta's bathroom (ao4), but she doesn't know if there are any critters inside. To purge (肃) the mandarin she whistles (啸) very loudly to drive away any critters inside the mandarin.