FOR REFERENCE.
As per WK:
六 - Six
Parts: Lid, Fins
On: ろく
Kun: む
Meaning Mnemonic
Just imagine a beast with a lid for a head and fins for feet, running around looking as insane as possible (really imagine it!). When it runs up to you, it shows you the top of its lid-head. On it is written the numbers 666. Why? Because it’s a spawn of the devil, and the number six is the devil’s number.
Imagine this beast doing various crazy things, the crazier the better (to help you remember). Make sure all these things are associated with the devil and the devil’s number (six), so you can remember the meaning of this kanji.
Reading Mnemonic
Whenever we need to remember the reading ろく we just use the word rock.
So, think about the devil and the devil’s number. What is often associated with those things? Why, rock (ろく) and roll is. Imagine the lid-head fin-legged beast suddenly blasting out rock music in the middle of his destructive mayhem.
Sing along with the monster, if it helps you to remember the reading of this kanji.
乙 - Latter
Parts: Nose
On: おつ, いつ
Kun: おと, きのと
Meaning Mnemonic
Your nose isn’t the first thing people see about your face, it’s the latter. They see your eyes THEN your nose, then your mouth, in order going down. Just label them A B and C and you’ll never forget!
Imagine saying A B C as you look down someones face at their eyes, nose and mouth. Their nose is B!
Reading Mnemonic
If you don’t have any cereal you have to eat your B breakfast option. Oats (おつ). You don’t hate oats, but they’re definitely not your first choice.
Imagine running out of cereal so you have to eat your latter option of breakfast oats. They aren’t awful but they aren’t your A breakfast choice, that’s for sure.
泣 - Cry
Parts: Stand, Tsunami
On: きゅう
Kun: な
Meaning Mnemonic
If you stand in front of a tsunami, you’re going to cry. That tsunami is going to hit you hard, and rip you right off the ground on which you stand. And then you’ll cry like a little baby.
Imagine getting hit with the full force of a tsunami. It slams into you and crushes every bone in your body. It hurts so much you cry.
Reading Mnemonic
You know what else can make you cry? A Nazi (な). Nazis are mean, mean people, much worse than tsunamis. Nazis are bad news. Imagine a Nazi surfboarding on top of that tsunami that just hit you and made you cry. I imagine there’s nothing worse in this world than that.
Picture this mean Nazi riding toward you atop of this tsunami wave. Hear him screaming, “Heil!” just before the tsunami wave crashes over you. Rotten Nazi.
競 - Compete
Parts: Older Brother, Stand
On: きょう
Kun: きそ
Meaning Mnemonic
Standing next to your older brother is another standing older brother of yours. They’re trying to compete, to see which of them can stand the straightest and tallest.
Picture your two older brothers competing like this. Are you going to root for one of them? That’s not very nice, you shouldn’t have a favorite older brother.
Reading Mnemonic
Your older brothers are trying to compete to see which of them gets to go to きょうと with you. You won a free trip to きょうと, but there’s only one other ticket, so now your brothers are competing for you.
Look really closely at your older brothers. They’re competing pretty hard for your attention. They really want to go to きょうと… but which one do YOU want to spend time with the most?
薬 - Medicine
Parts: Flowers, Comfort
On: やく
Kun: くすり
Meaning Mnemonic
Flowers can be used for comfort, but also for medicine. Sure, it’s a comfort to smell flowers because they smell nice, but one can also use them as medicine to heal people.
Imagine having some medicine that smells and tastes like fresh cut flowers. Smell the smell in your nose and taste the taste on your tongue.
Reading Mnemonic
The best way to transport all the medicine on land is with a yak (やく). Yaks are big, strong, and very capable of transporting flower medicine like these.
Picture a yak in your mind. Pretend you are riding atop the yak as it transports this medicine. Feel the fur of the yak in your hands as you cling on for dear life.