Hi Deodatus, great question. Let me be clear: I am not using the radicals of the characters according to their dictionary definitions. I am using them as narrative components.
Although “country” is easy for most to remember, as we get deeper into the forest we begin to encounter some real problems. For example, here is the formal form of “two”. It’s a relatively complicated character that you might uncommonly see.
弐
How would you remember how to write it?
My answer is to remember it by creating an evocative and memorable story out of its components parts.
But there are some immediate problems we need to grapple with, if we try to make use of a character’s component parts according to their dictionary definitions. Some component parts of the characters either do not have good names (e.g. “⺍”), are boring (e.g. “mouth/enclosure” 口), or they just are difficult to work into a story for every character that they are involved in (e.g. 圭, literally means “squared jewel”, but also fits into the characters “seal”, “katsura tree”, and “water’s edge”).
So my solution to these problems is to reimagine the component parts. While “one” 「一」 is easy to write, I find it is somewhat hard to remember or work into a mnemonic story. So, as a component, I rename it “dagger”; a ‘dagger’ is a much more powerful image than the concept of ‘one’. I can remember “dagger” for a long while.
This story mnemonic method is more conceptual work at the outset, but is a strategy that does pay off.
Here is how I can always recall how to write the formal form of two,「弐」. This is my “story” for it:
"The two participants in the formal duel unsheathed [弋] their blades [二], but one used a dagger [一] aswell and it ended in tears [丶].
As someone who memorizes the kanji like this, I find giving new meanings to components helps make learning more personal and rewarding.
I may not have explained myself well. Did I address your concern?
