(xián)

HSK 7-98 strokesTrad.

worthy or virtuous person

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
xián
Meaning
worthy or virtuous person; honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation
Strokes
8
HSK level
HSK 7-9
Traditional

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿱⿰?又贝

In this compound, the meaning comes from (money).

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

Parts are arranged top to bottom.

How to write step by step

8 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

Words with

Common words using — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

shèngxián
HSK 7-9

a sage

Open 圣贤 page →
xiānxián

(literary) ancient sage

Open 先贤 page →
fèngxián

Fengxian suburban district of Shanghai

Open 奉贤 page →
xián

Samantabhadra, the Buddhist Lord of Truth

Open 普贤 page →

to appoint people according to their merits (idiom); appointment on the basis of abilit…

Open 任人唯贤 page →

to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom); appointment on the basis of ability a…

Open 任贤使能 page →
qiánxián

sages of the past; worthy predecessors

Open 前贤 page →

Fengxian suburban district of Shanghai

Open 奉贤区 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 贤?

Trace 贤 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.