MEANING
ENGLISH: Walk, run, stroll
SPANISH: Caminar, correr, pasear
Families: Image abstractions, Medicine
EXPLANATION
This is an abstraction of two little legs running or walking.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Wall, container, contain, lining
SPANISH: Pared, muro, contenedor, envase, contener, revestimiento
Families: Lines, Image abstractions
EXPLANATION
This is the abstraction of a plain wall.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Way
SPANISH: Forma, camino
Families: Letters, Slashes, Image abstractions, Compound symbols
EXPLANATION
This is the combination of the letter ‘’W’’ from ‘’way’’ and the symbol for ‘’street’’.
MEANING
ENGLISH: We
SPANISH: Nosotros
Families: Circles
EXPLANATION
The circle represents union. ‘’We’’ means a group of 2 or more people. ‘’We’’ as in a team, together. We usually use this symbol at the beginning of sentences. It must also be small, otherwise, it could be confused with ‘’ball, circle’’. So, make sure to draw a tiny circle for ‘’we’’.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Weak, fragile, weakness
SPANISH: Débil, frágil, debilidad
Families: Lines
EXPLANATION
This symbol derives from the ‘’stable, support’’ symbol. When the vertical line is so heavy that breaks the horizontal line it creates a point of weakness.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Week, weekly
SPANISH: Semana, semanalmente
Families: Letters
EXPLANATION
Abbreviation from the ‘’W’’ and the ‘’K’’ from ‘’Week’’. I combine these two letters in one letter.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Weight, scale
SPANISH: Peso, báscula
Families: Medicine, Image abstractions
EXPLANATION
This is the abstraction of one of those old weight scale. The drawing also looks like a ‘’T’’ as in ‘’weight’’ if you remove the two vertical lines ‘’attached’’ to the horizontal line.
MEANING
ENGLISH: What
SPANISH: Qué
Families: W questions
EXPLANATION
Combining the ‘’W’’ and the ‘’T’’ in one single character.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Wheelchair
SPANISH: Silla de ruedas
Families: Medicine, Image abstractions
EXPLANATION
This is the abstraction of a wheelchair.
MEANING
ENGLISH: When
SPANISH: Cuando
Families: W questions
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ and ‘’N’’ from ‘’When’’
MEANING
ENGLISH: Where
SPANISH: Donde
Families: W questions
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ and the ‘’R’’ from ‘’Where’’. You may have noticed that the ‘’R’’ looks like a small 2. The reason behind it is Gestalt and saving strokes. 1st, the fewer strokes a symbol needs, the better (speed). 2nd, Gestalt means that even if you skip some strokes you still get the overall idea because your brain ‘’completes’’ the missing lines.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Which
SPANISH: Cual
Families: W questions
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ and the ‘’H’’ from ‘’Which’’. You have two ways of drawing this. One is a continuous line between ‘’W’’ and ‘’H’’ and the other is ‘’W’’ and ‘’H’’ separated. Choose the one that works best for you and
MEANING
ENGLISH: While
SPANISH: While
Families: W questions, Plotting
EXPLANATION
This is an abbreviation + a visual cue. The ‘’w’’ for ‘’while’’ has a horizontal line. Below the line you can add things as follows:
MEANING
ENGLISH: White blood cell
SPANISH: Glóbulos blancos
Families: Medicine, Letters
EXPLANATION
Standard abbreviation
MEANING
ENGLISH: Who
SPANISH: Quien
Families: W questions, Compound symbols
EXPLANATION
You have two options. Pick the one you like and stick to it. You have the ‘’W’’ and ‘’O’’ from ‘’Who’’. The other option is more abstract.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Why
SPANISH: Por qué
Families: Compound symbols, W questions
EXPLANATION
You have two options for this symbol. Pick one and stick to it. One option combines the ‘’W’’ and ‘’Y’’ of ‘’why’’, the other option is more abstract. It uses the ‘’root square’’. When you find the root square you find ‘’the reason why’’ that number is what it is. For example, the root square of 4 is 2 because of 2x2
MEANING
ENGLISH: With
SPANISH: Con
Families: Slashes, Letters
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ from ‘’With’’. The forward slash will be a very important symbol of a series of symbols like by, b/, for, 4/, without, w/o, etc. The forward slash generally means that there is something else more important coming (another idea or group of ideas).
MEANING
ENGLISH: Without
SPANISH: Sin
Families: Letters, Slashes
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ and th ‘’O’’ from ‘’Without’’. The forward slash will be a very important symbol of a series of symbols like by, b/, for, 4/, with, w/, etc. The forward slash generally means that there is something else more important coming (another idea or group of ideas).
MEANING
ENGLISH: Work, job
SPANISH: Trabajo, empleo
Families: Circles, Letters
EXPLANATION
This the ‘’W’’ from ‘’Work’’. Once you stick to one simple letter to mean something, you should always use it that way. The ‘’W’’ can only be used for ‘’Work’’, ‘’Job’’ but never nothing else.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Afraid, worried, scared, nervous
SPANISH: Temeroso, preocupado, asustado, nervioso
Families: Emotions, Medicine
EXPLANATION
This is a worried face. The two vertical eyes are the eyes. The wobbly lines are the lips trembling. Wobbly lines tend to represent insecurity, worry…
MEANING
ENGLISH: Worse, worsen, deteriorate
SPANISH: Peor, empeorar, deteriorar
Families: Arrows
EXPLANATION
This is like the checkmark symbol but a little different. There are peaks and falls that imply movement (going down). The bottom arrow accentuates that it’s going down, hence worsening.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Would
SPANISH: Podría
Families: Modal verbs
EXPLANATION
The ‘’W’’ and ‘’L’’ from ‘’Would’’.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Wrist
SPANISH: Muñeca
Families: Body parts, Compound symbols, Medicine
EXPLANATION
This is a combination of symbols.
MEANING
ENGLISH: Write, pen, pencil, sign
SPANISH: Escribir, lapicero, lápiz, firmar
Families: Image abstractions
EXPLANATION
This is the abstraction of a pen (quill)
MEANING
ENGLISH: Wrong, mistake, fault, error, fault, failure
SPANISH: Mal, error, culpa, fallo, insuficiencia
Families: X family
EXPLANATION
This is an arbitrary symbol. The ‘’X’’ has many uses. But I always try to tweak the design so I can differentiate one meaning from another, for example:
