人民币 (rénmínbì) · RMB

人 rén · person

What 人 is made of

人 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 2 strokes.

Origin hint: The legs of a human being (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

民 mín · citizens

What 民 is made of

• 巳sì — the hours from 9 to 11
  • 乚 — hook stroke
• 戈gē — spear

Origin hint: An eye 巳 pierced by a dagger 戈, an old mark of slavery (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

币 bì · currency

What 币 is made of

• 丿 — falling stroke
• 巾jīn — cloth
  • 冂 — frame
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
  • 丨 — vertical stroke

Origin hint: Bills written on silk 巾 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)