Fair warning, this is one of the stupidest, and probably grossest ones to remember this way, but then again, if you follow the story you will never forget it, for better or worse. It is also hugely important to know how to say: "Toilet Paper". Do you know it already? Then skip past this one. I'm a guy, this is how my mind works.
Ok, Toilet paper is "卫生纸" or Wèishēngzhǐ. For those who don't know, there is another common "zhi" that is juice. Fruit juice is 果汁 or Guǒzhī. Yes the "zhi" is a different tone, but close enough for my stupid story. So any juice from apple to orange to grape is a "zhi", right? Ok so knowing that and having lots of friends who don't speak much Chinese (ok, just less than I do), my kids and I love taking people out and saying "oh have you tried the apple juice, or the orange? How about the "Wèishēngzhǐ"? You have to ask the waiter for a glass of that, it is really tasty at this restaurant.
It is really funny to watch the look on the waiter's face when a newbie asks for a glass of toilet paper, with ice. Ha! Seriously, we have done that several times and always gotten a good laugh out of it, and taught the newbie this story:
Ok, so if you have to ask for toilet paper then let's admit it, you will get shunned. Not just a little shunning by others, but "way shunned". Yes, the word for toilet paper is "way shunned juice" or "Way-Shun-Zhi". To remember it you think how embarrased you are to have to ask for toilet paper in the first place and that you'll get way shunned. And if your poo is coming out like juice, you'll get even more "way shunned". Yeah, gross and stupid, but you'll remember Way-Shung-Zhi forever this way.
Also have a close look at the characters. The first character LOOKS like a toilet paper dispenser and means to "guard, defend or protect" and it looks like it is a protective despensor.. Yeah, I'm not making this up, look at it closely: 卫 It also looks like a combined "T and P" with a line under it, to remember it is in TP (Toilet Paper) The 2nd character looks like a guy reaching for the empty roll with his right hand, sort of "卫生". This 2nd character has tons of meanings but it is best known as the verb "to give birth" as in the same sheng from happy birth day and 生纸 actually means birth certificate. I won't ask what you are giving birth to in "toilet paper", but it can't be good. Now look at the final character, that zhi means just "paper". 纸. I like to think of it as a guy squeezing 2 rolls of Charmin toilet paper until they collapse into that "m" shape that is the radical.
Ok, Toilet paper is "卫生纸" or Wèishēngzhǐ. For those who don't know, there is another common "zhi" that is juice. Fruit juice is 果汁 or Guǒzhī. Yes the "zhi" is a different tone, but close enough for my stupid story. So any juice from apple to orange to grape is a "zhi", right? Ok so knowing that and having lots of friends who don't speak much Chinese (ok, just less than I do), my kids and I love taking people out and saying "oh have you tried the apple juice, or the orange? How about the "Wèishēngzhǐ"? You have to ask the waiter for a glass of that, it is really tasty at this restaurant.
It is really funny to watch the look on the waiter's face when a newbie asks for a glass of toilet paper, with ice. Ha! Seriously, we have done that several times and always gotten a good laugh out of it, and taught the newbie this story:
Ok, so if you have to ask for toilet paper then let's admit it, you will get shunned. Not just a little shunning by others, but "way shunned". Yes, the word for toilet paper is "way shunned juice" or "Way-Shun-Zhi". To remember it you think how embarrased you are to have to ask for toilet paper in the first place and that you'll get way shunned. And if your poo is coming out like juice, you'll get even more "way shunned". Yeah, gross and stupid, but you'll remember Way-Shung-Zhi forever this way.
Also have a close look at the characters. The first character LOOKS like a toilet paper dispenser and means to "guard, defend or protect" and it looks like it is a protective despensor.. Yeah, I'm not making this up, look at it closely: 卫 It also looks like a combined "T and P" with a line under it, to remember it is in TP (Toilet Paper) The 2nd character looks like a guy reaching for the empty roll with his right hand, sort of "卫生". This 2nd character has tons of meanings but it is best known as the verb "to give birth" as in the same sheng from happy birth day and 生纸 actually means birth certificate. I won't ask what you are giving birth to in "toilet paper", but it can't be good. Now look at the final character, that zhi means just "paper". 纸. I like to think of it as a guy squeezing 2 rolls of Charmin toilet paper until they collapse into that "m" shape that is the radical.