新官上任三把火 (xīn guān shàng rèn sān bǎ huǒ) — (idiom) a new broom sweeps clean; a new official makes swift changes when first taking office

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

把 combines 扌, a hand, with 巴 for its sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.