渐

to imbue

gradual / gradually

渐 = 斩 + 氵 : Joan of Arc (ji) didn't dispose of her empty water bottles (氵) for a long time. Instead, she just hoarded them in the anthill's bathroom (an4). Today she wants to get rid of the bottles: step by step (渐), little by little (渐) she cuts them down using a lawn mower (斩).

渐 character breakdown

渐
- 斩
  - 斤
    - 丅
      - 一
      - 丨
    - ⺁
      - 丿
  - 车
    - 七
      - 一
      - 乚
    - 十
      - 一
      - 丨
- 氵
  - ⺀
    - 丶
  - ㇀

斩

斬

zhǎn = zh + an3

to behead (as form of capital punishment) / to chop

斩 = 斤 + 车 : Mnemonic symbol from 斩草除根: lawn mower. James II of England (zh) accidentally dropped bar bells (斤) onto the anthill's owner's cabriolet (车). The owner is mad as hell and wants to behead (斩) James II of England in the living room (an3) using a lawn mower (斩).

氵

shuǐ = shu + ei3

"water" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 85), occurring in 沒|没[mei2], 法[fa3], 流[liu2] etc / see also 三點水|三点水[san1 dian3 shui3]

氵 = ⺀ + ㇀ : Mnemonic symbol: a bottle of water. Sheldon Shrimp (shu) enjoys a bottle of water (氵) in the Eiffel Tower's living room (ei3). The got the water by scratching (㇀) a blossom (⺀) and catching the leaking dew in a bottle.