南辕北辙 (nányuánběizhé) · to act in a way that defeats one's purpose

南 nán · south

What 南 is made of

• 十 — ten
  • 一 — horizontal stroke
  • 丨 — vertical stroke
• 冂 — frame
  • 丨 — vertical stroke
• 丷ha — kwukyel
  • 丶 — dot
• 干gàn — dry (gān)
  • 一 — horizontal stroke
  • 十 — ten
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 丨 — vertical stroke

Origin hint: A musical bell (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

辕 yuán · axle

What 辕 is made of

• 车chē — cart
  • 七qī — seven
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 乚 — hook stroke
  • 十 — ten
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
• 袁yuán — robe
  • 衣yī — cloth
  • 口kǒu — mouth
    • 冂 — frame
    • 一 — horizontal stroke

北 běi · north

What 北 is made of

• 匕bǐ — spoon
  • 乚 — hook stroke
  • 丿 — falling stroke

Origin hint: Two people 匕 sitting back-to-back; phonetic loan for "north" (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

辙 zhé · track

What 辙 is made of

• 车chē — cart
  • 七qī — seven
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 乚 — hook stroke
  • 十 — ten
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
• 育yù — to produce
  • 亠tóu — lid
    • 丶 — dot
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
  • 厶sī — private
  • ⺼ — meat
• 攵pū — to rap
  • 乂yì — crossed strokes
    • 丿 — falling stroke