The Chinese characters 新 meaning is new.

Freshly chopped from the hazel bush (亲)for flexibility, were once used for flogging criminals, sometimes extort a confession. Hence: 新, the symbol for “new”, indicated by the hazel rods (亲) and the axe (斤).

The Chinese characters 质 meaning is quality.

Two axes poised above a cowrie shell (贝, representing something precious), are ready to dissect it and ascertain its worth. The axes ensure a complete and thorough job. Hence: 质, denoting quality or value.

The Chinese characters 近 meaning is near.

This ideograph suggests the proper way for a warrior to advance to battle - with battle-axe in hand. i.e., near. Hence: 近, meaning “near”.

The Chinese characters 兵 meaning is soldier; army.

兵 is represented by two hands brandishing a battle-axe - symbol of the soldier. Lamenting the necessity of maintaining an army in a belligerent world, one proverb concludes: “Feed soldiers for a thousand days, to be used for one day.”

Du Fu wrote this poem in 736 at the age of twenty-four when he travelled in modern Shandong Province. The first couplet tells us his general impression of the Peak of Peaks viewed from afar: it was one boundless green overspreading the ancient States of Qi in the north and Lu in the south. When he came nearer, he found the mountain a marvel done by Nature, so vast that its southern side was always sunlit and its northern side ever in shade.

The longer the poet gazed at the mountain, the more he felt his soul cleansed by the layers of clouds rising there from until he could mark with wide eyes the birds flying back to their nest at dusk. This tells us how long he had been gazing and marveling. But he did not commune and become one with Nature as Li Bo before Jingling Mountain. The last couplet tells us the poet’s wish to ascend to the summit of Mount Tai, which seems to predict that one day he would surmount the Olympian summit, Chinese regulated poetry.

GAZING AT MOUNT TaI
O Peak of Peaks, how high it stands!
One boundless green o’er spreads two States.
A marvel done by Nature’s hands,
O’er light and shade it dominates.
Clouds rise there from and lave my breast;
I strain my eyes and see birds fleet.
I must ascend the mountain’s crest;
It dwarfs all peaks under my feet.

望岳

岱宗夫如何？齐鲁青未了。

造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓。

荡胸生层云，绝眦入归鸟。

会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。

The Chinese characters 匠 meaning is artisan; craftsman.

An artisan: 匠 is represented by his tool: 斤 (an axe) and his work, a hollowed-out log, vessel or box). The craftsman’s dependence upon his tools prompts the saying: “The workman who would do his work well should first sharpen his tools.”

The Chinese characters 所 meaning is place.

所 is a juxtaposition of 户 (door) and 斤 (axe), and refers to the place where fuel is prepared. In olden times, the chopping of firewood with the axe was done near the door or house. Hence: 所 (axe beside house) meaning place or location.

The Chinese characters 房 meaning is room; house.

房 combines 户 (door) with 方 (square). It indicates something squarish (方) with a door (户), i.e., a house or a room. Viewing house and room squarely, one proverb draws the conclusion: “Even though your dwelling contains a thousand rooms, you can use but eight feet of space a night.”

The Chinese characters 方 meaning is square.

The original version was a graphic representation of two boats lashed together to form a square barge. Finally modified to 方, it widened its scope to mean also region, direction and even upright, or puritanical.

The Chinese characters 钉 meaning is nail.

Originally, this Chinese character was a pictograph of a nail: 丁. Clarified with the metal radical (金), it is now simplified to 钉. 丁 itself now stands for a strong male adult or soldier for, in a sense, nails are soldiers - strong, useful but never really valued. Hence the saying: “Use not good iron to make nails, nor good men soldiers!’