石

shi

stone, rock, mineral

石头 stone/rock (common spoken term)

岩石 cliff/rock (geological term)

宝石 gemstone/jewel (lit. treasure stone)

石油 petroleum/oil (lit. stone oil)

under a cliff there is a block of stone

兹

zi/ci

now (moment or time), this

hereby, herewith

(ovim, uz ovo)

兹事体大 this is a serious matter

this tiny root and this small root

磁

ci

magnetic

磁铁 magnet; 磁力 magnetic force; 

磁性 magnetism, magnetic property

a stone (石) with this so tiny (幺幺) magnetic threads

出

chu

to go/come out

 出版 "to publish"; 出色 "outstanding," lit. "to stand out in color"

The stacked 山 (mountain) radicals imply repeated movement (e.g., climbing out);

it signifies the symbol of feet (止) walking out of a hut (凵).

础

chu

foundation, base

基础知识 – "basic knowledge"

a stone (石), upon which everything else comes out (出) is called the foundation stone

並

bing

to combine, merge

to unite,

side by side; also

a simplified form of 並, two men 竝 standing

Two people (丷) standing side by side (丨丨) under one roof (一) = (merged) 并 (united)

皮

pi

skin, hide

outer covering

皮革 leather; 皮肤 skin; 苹果皮 apple peel; 地皮 land surface

破

po 

to break, to split

to defeat

破敌 to crush the enemy; 破阵 to break enemy formations;

破例 to make an exception (lit. break the rule);  破碎 shattered;

 破解 to crack/decode e.g., passwords;  破纪录 break a record

a stone (石) goes through an animal skin splitting it

角

jiao

horn, angle, corner

角力 "wrestling" lit. "horn-power"; Geometry: 角度 "angle, degree";  角色 "role/character," from the "horned" masks in ancient drama

确

que

certain, sure, firm 

准确 accurate/precise; 确认 to confirm 

a stone (石) for testing horns (角) to be sure and certain how firm they are

幵

jian

level, even, to balance

formed by doubling of 干, symbolizing balance and alignment

研

yan

to grind, to polish

to research

研究 to research (lit. to grind and examine); 研讨 to discuss and study

using a stone (石) tool to level (幵) the surface by grinding and polishing, metaphorically extending to mental refinement through researching

碰

peng

to touch; to bump into, to collide,

to encounter

碰到桌子 bump into a table; 碰到 to run into (physically or by chance); 碰见 to meet unexpectedly; 碰撞 collision

碰运气 to try one’s luck (give it a shot, lit. touch luck)

two stones (石) simultaneously (並) coming into contact by bumping into each other