起飞 (qǐfēi) · to take off (of a plane)

起 qǐ · to get up

What 起 is made of

• 走zǒu — to walk
  • 土tǔ — earth
    • 十 — ten
    • 一 — horizontal stroke
  • 止zhǐ — to stop
    • 上shàng — up
    • 丨 — vertical stroke
• 己jǐ — self
  • 乚 — hook stroke

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

飞 fēi · to fly

What 飞 is made of

飞 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 3 strokes.

Origin hint: A bird flapping its wings (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)