Two yellow leaves and two red ones make the wings, with a green leaf for the body. Leaves that look ready to fly: 蝴蝶.
蝴蝶 (hú dié) means “butterfly.” The two characters work together as one word. Count butterflies with the measure word 只 (zhī): 一只蝴蝶 (yì zhī húdié), one butterfly.
这只蝴蝶很漂亮。 — Zhè zhī húdié hěn piàoliang. — This butterfly is beautiful.
A hand cuts a pizza with a pair of scissors whose lower blade is a flat spatula, lifting each slice as it cuts. Those are 剪刀.
剪刀 (jiǎndāo) means “scissors.” 剪 means to cut with scissors, and 刀 is knife or blade.
Count scissors with 把 (bǎ): 一把剪刀. To cut something with scissors is just 剪, as in 剪头发 (jiǎn tóufa), to cut hair. In the second example below, 快 means sharp, not fast.
请把剪刀递给我。 — Qǐng bǎ jiǎndāo dì gěi wǒ. — Please pass me the scissors.
这把剪刀很快。 — Zhè bǎ jiǎndāo hěn kuài. — These scissors are very sharp.
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A big pink pig is a USB hub, and the piglets are USB sticks. Once every piglet is plugged in beside mom, they are a 家庭.
家庭 (jiātíng) means “family,” a household. 家 means home or family, and 庭 means courtyard. In everyday talk people often say 家人 (jiārén), family members, or just 家.
家庭 appears in many compounds, such as 家庭作业 (jiātíng zuòyè), homework.
他有一个幸福的家庭。 — Tā yǒu yí ge xìngfú de jiātíng. — He has a happy family.
我们家是个大家庭。 — Wǒmen jiā shì ge dà jiātíng. — We are a big family.
A watch strapped on inside a sliced apple: a very literal Apple Watch. The watch on your wrist is a 手表.
手表 (shǒu biǎo) means “wristwatch.” 手 is hand and 表 is a watch or meter. Count watches with 块 (kuài): 一块手表 (yí kuài shǒubiǎo).
Two third tones in a row change the first one to a rising tone, so 手表 is pronounced shóu biǎo. That is the spelling in the drawing.
我的手表坏了。 — Wǒ de shǒubiǎo huài le. — My watch is broken.
这块手表很贵。 — Zhè kuài shǒubiǎo hěn guì. — This watch is expensive.
Two hands hold up a clock whose numbers are all math problems: √4 for two, 3! for six, 16/2 for eight. Telling the time takes 数学.
数学 (shùxué) means “mathematics.” 数 means number and 学 means study.
As a verb, 数 is read shǔ and means to count. A math class is 数学课 (shùxué kè).
我的数学不太好。 — Wǒ de shùxué bú tài hǎo. — I’m not very good at math.
我们明天有数学考试。 — Wǒmen míngtiān yǒu shùxué kǎoshì. — We have a math test tomorrow.
A tiny person soaks in a steaming cup of coffee as if it were a hot tub, legs hanging over the rim. What a cozy way to 洗澡.
洗澡 (xǐzǎo) means “to take a bath” or “to shower.” 洗 is to wash and 澡 means bath; 澡 rarely appears on its own.
洗澡 is a verb plus its object, so words can go in between: 洗个澡 (xǐ ge zǎo), take a bath.
我先去洗澡。 — Wǒ xiān qù xǐzǎo. — I’ll go take a bath first.
你每天晚上洗澡吗？ — Nǐ měitiān wǎnshang xǐzǎo ma? — Do you shower every evening?
This rocking chair has three seats side by side: a chair for generations. A man reads to a child on each side seat and one on his lap, all in one 椅子.
椅子 (yǐzi) means “chair.” The 子 is a neutral tone. The 木 on the left means wood.
Count chairs with 把 (bǎ), the measure word for things you can grab: 一把椅子. A rocking chair is 摇椅 (yáoyǐ).
请坐这把椅子。 — Qǐng zuò zhè bǎ yǐzi. — Please sit in this chair.
房间里有四把椅子。 — Fángjiān lǐ yǒu sì bǎ yǐzi. — There are four chairs in the room.
It is 3 a.m.: the pen is stirring the coffee, and the hand over the notebook is writing with a spoon. That is too much 工作.
工作 (gōngzuò) means “work” or “job,” and also “to work.” 工 is labor and 作 means to do.
To ask someone’s job, say 你做什么工作？ (Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?). To look for a job is 找工作 (zhǎo gōngzuò).
我在一家银行工作。 — Wǒ zài yì jiā yínháng gōngzuò. — I work at a bank.
他工作到凌晨三点。 — Tā gōngzuò dào língchén sān diǎn. — He worked until 3 a.m.
