力

lì = li + Ø4

power / force / strength / ability / strenuously

力 = ㇆ + 丿 : Mnemonic symbol: a power button.

Li Qingzhao (li) just had a shower in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) and wants to use the hair dryer, but there's no plug, just the bare end of the cable! She uses all her power to build an electricity plug, and for the two pins she uses a plough (㇆) and a banana (丿). Finally she hits a big power button (力) to turn the power on.

力 character breakdown

力
- 丿
- ㇆
  - 一
  - 亅

丿

piě = pi + e3

radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 4) / see 撇[pie3]

Pocahontas (pi-) is eating a banana (丿) in the elevator's living room (-e3).

㇆

Character component without intrinsic meaning

㇆ = 一 + 亅 : Mnemonic symbol: ㇆ just looks like a plow.

Someone attached a flute to the top of a crowbar to create a new instrument. When the crowbar is bowed with a plow, the vibrations of the crowbar will transfer to the flute, which in turn is producing eerie sounds.

Characters with 力 as component

势

勢

shì = sh + Ø4

power / influence / potential / momentum / tendency / trend / situation / conditions / outward appearance / sign / gesture / male genitals

势 = 力 + 执 : The space station's scientists want to conduct an experiment in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) to find the momentum (势) and potential energy (势) of a pendulum in zero gravity. Everything is already set up, they just have to push the power button (力)—but Sherlock Holmes (sh) insists on seeing their license (执) first before he allows it.

为

為

wèi = w + ei4

because of / for / to

为 = ⺀ + 力 : The crazy hair penguin wants to use the Eiffel Tower's bathroom, but because Willy Walrus just finished it stinks like hell. The first thing crazy hair penguin does is to press the button to release a heap of blossoms to make the air breathable again.

为 = ⺀ + 力 : This one looks like a bird with crazy hair, and when I googled "bird with crazy hair", wow was I amazed how many birds with crazy hair there are! Penguins are birds with crazy hair! So let's use a penguin for this character.

为

爲

wèi = w + ei4

variant of 為|为[wei4]

为

爲

wéi = w + ei2

variant of 為|为[wei2] / as (i.e. in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do

为

為

wéi = w + ei2

as (in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by (in the passive voice)

为

爲

wéi = w + ei2

variant of 為|为[wei2]

历

厤

lì = li + Ø4

old variant of 曆|历[li4] / old variant of 歷|历[li4]

历 = 力 + 厂 : In the space station's bathroom, Li Qingzhao is just about to hit the power button of her new chocolate factory. To commemorate this day, she marked this day in her big wall calendar.

历

歴

lì = li + Ø4

old variant of 歷|历[li4]

历

曆

lì = li + Ø4

calendar

历

歷

lì = li + Ø4

to experience / to undergo / to pass through / all / each / every / history

励

勵

lì = li + Ø4

to encourage / to urge

励 = 力 + 厉 : While Li Qingzhao (li) is using the space station's bathroom (Ø4), a malicious spirit (厉) encourages (励) her to push a mysterious power button (力) next to her. She knows that she shouldn't push the button, but she just can't bear not to know what it actually does.

励

勵

lì = li + Ø4

surname Li

勘

ka̅n = k + an1

to investigate / to survey / to collate

勘 = 力 + 甚 : Karl Marx (k) is chatting with an extremist (甚) in front of the anthill (an1) and would like to investigate (勘) that the power button (力) on the extremist's girdle is supposed to do.

勒

le̅i = l + ei1

to strap tightly / to bind