争先恐后 (zhēngxiānkǒnghòu) · to scramble to be first

争 zhēng · to argue

What 争 is made of

• ⺈ — top shape
• 彐jì — snout
  • 二 — two strokes
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
• 亅 — hook

Origin hint: Simplified form of 爭, two hands 爪 and 彐 fighting over 亅 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

先 xiān · first

What 先 is made of

• 土tǔ — earth
  • 十 — ten
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
  • 一 — horizontal stroke
• 儿ér — child
  • 丿 — falling stroke
  • 乚 — hook stroke

Origin hint: Someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

恐 kǒng · fearful

What 恐 is made of

• 巩gǒng — to bind
  • 工gōng — labor
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 丄shàng — above
  • 凡fán — any
    • 几jǐ — small table
    • 丶 — dot
• 心xīn — heart

Origin hint: 心 gives the meaning, 巩 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

后 hòu · behind

What 后 is made of

• 口kǒu — mouth
  • 冂 — frame
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
  • 一 — horizontal stroke