贤 (xián): worthy or virtuous person, honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation
贤 (xián) is a Chinese character meaning “worthy or virtuous person.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), with radical 贝 (shell). It ranks #1918 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 贤 money. Its radical form 贝 (shell) appears in many related characters such as 贵 (guì, abbr. for Guizhou Province 貴州|贵州[Gui4 zhou1]), 负 (fù, to bear), 责 (zé, responsibility).
Definitions
- worthy or virtuous person
- honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation
Etymology & Origin
pictophoneticmoney
Stroke Order
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Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 圣贤 | shèng xián | a sage |
| 贤惠 | xián huì | variant of 賢慧|贤慧[xian2 hui4] |
| 贤人 | xián rén | great person of the past |
| 贤明 | xián míng | wise and capable |
| 贤良 | xián liáng | (of a man) able and virtuous |
| 贤内助 | xián nèi zhù | (said of sb else's wife) a good wife |
| 招贤纳士 | zhāo xián nà shì | invite the talented and call the valorous (idiom) |
| 贤淑 | xián shū | (of a woman) virtuous |
| 任人唯贤 | rèn rén wéi xián | to appoint people according to their merits (idiom) |
| 贤才 | xián cái | a genius |
| 贤士 | xián shì | virtuous person |
| 嫉贤妒能 | jí xián dù néng | (idiom) to envy the virtuous and talented |
| 贤慧 | xián huì | (of a wife) wise and kind |
| 贤者时间 | xián zhě shí jiān | (slang) post-nut clarity moment |
| 任贤使能 | rèn xián shǐ néng | to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom) |
贤 appears in 53 compound words: 38 as the first character, 25 as the last, and 38 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 贤 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (17)
to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom); to honor the great and the good
to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom); appointment on the basis of ability and integrity
to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom); to honor the great and the good
to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom); appointment on the basis of ability and integrity
Showing 12 of 17 idioms containing 贤.
Example Sentences
贤字虽然难写,但意思很有趣。
xián zì suī rán nán xiě , dàn yì sī hěn yǒu qù .
The character "贤" may be difficult to write, but its meaning is quite interesting.
刘美贤冬奥花滑夺金 父亲拒中国金钱招揽
liú měi xián dōng ào huā huá duó jīn fù qīn jù zhōng guó jīn qián zhāo lǎn
Liu Meixian won gold in figure skating at the Winter Olympics, and her father refused China's money solicitation
下一个会更好?连贤明:好的协议比好的时机更重要
xià yī gè huì gēng hǎo ? lián xián míng : hǎo de xié yì bǐ hǎo de shí jī gēng chóng yāo
Will the next one be better? Lian Xianming: A good agreement is more important than a good timing
竹县团拜 陈见贤、徐欣莹零互动
zhú xiàn tuán bài chén jiàn xián , xú xīn yíng líng hù dòng
Zhuxian group worship Chen Jianxian and Xu Xinying have zero interaction
美关税新变局 中经院院长连贤明:重谈台美协定是下策
měi guān shuì xīn biàn jú zhōng jīng yuàn yuàn cháng lián xián míng : chóng tán tái měi xié dìng shì xià cè
New changes in US tariffs Lian Xianxian, president of the China Economic Institute: Revisiting the Taiwan-US agreement is the last policy
柴火灶里烧出的“团聚”,藏着最浓的奉贤年味丨有一种..
chái huǒ zào lǐ shāo chū de tuán jù , zàng zhe zuì nóng de fèng xián nián wèi 丨 yǒu yī zhǒng . .
The "reunion" burned in the wood stove hides the strongest Fengxian New Year's flavor丨There is a kind:
良禽择木而栖,贤臣择主而事。
Liángqínzémù'érqī, xián chén zé zhǔ ér shì.
A prudent bird chooses its tree. A wise servant chooses his master.
这些书是贤治的吗?
Zhèxiē shū shì xián zhì de ma?
Are these books Kenji's?
贤治的英语说得很流利。
Xián zhì de Yīngyǔ shuō dehěn liúlì.
Kenji is a good speaker of English.
历览前贤国与家,成由勤俭破由奢。
Lì lǎn qián xián guó yǔ jiā, chéng yóu qínjiǎn pò yóu shē.
Looking back at the former wise rulers and nations, their success was achieved through diligence and frugality, while their downfall was caused by extravagance and luxury.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 贤 (xián) mean in Chinese?
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What are common words containing 贤?
What characters sound the same as 贤 (xián)?
Is 贤 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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