鮮

鮮

See also: 尟 and 鲜

鮮 U+9BAE, 鮮 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9BAE ← 鮭 [U+9BAD] CJK Unified Ideographs 鮯 → [U+9BAF]

Translingual

Han character

鮮 (Kangxi radical 195, 魚+6, 17 strokes, cangjie input 弓火廿手 (NFTQ), four-corner 2835₁, composition ⿰魚羊)

References

• KangXi: page 1470, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 46133
• Dae Jaweon: page 2002, character 25
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4688, character 6
• Unihan data for U+9BAE

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Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (鮮) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
鮮	*sen, *senʔ, *sens
廯	*sen, *senʔ
癬	*senʔ
蘚	*senʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *sen, *senʔ, *sens) : semantic 魚 (“fish”) + abbreviated phonetic 羴 (OC *qʰreːn, *qʰljen).

Alternatively, may be ideogrammic compound (會意) : 魚 (“fish”) + 羊 (“sheep”) – delicious.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gsjar (“new; fresh”) (STEDT). Cognate with Proto-Tibeto-Burman *g-sar (“new; fresh”), whence Tibetan གསར་བ (gsar ba, “new; fresh”), Rawang angsar (“new”), Drung aksal (“new”), Mizo tʰarᴴ (“new”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

trad.		鮮
simp.		鲜
alternative forms		鱻／𱈜 䲆 觧 ⿰⿱⺈冂羊 𱆮 鱻／𱈜 䲆 觧 ⿰⿱⺈冂羊 𱆮 ⿰𩵋羊

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): xiān (xian¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ

  (Chengdu, SP): xuan¹

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): xien¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): siên

  (Meixian, Guangdong): xiên¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): xie¹
• Min Bei (KCR): síng
• Min Dong (BUC): chiĕng / siĕng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhiⁿ / sian / sián

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cin¹ / siang¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): xi (T1)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): sienn¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiān
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sian
    • Wade–Giles: hsien¹
    • Yale: syān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian
    • Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛn⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: xuan¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xuan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕyan⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin¹
    • Yale: sīn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: xien¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siên
    • Hakka Romanization System: xien´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xian¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ɕi̯en²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: xiên¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: xie¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: síng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siŋ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chiĕng / siĕng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰieŋ⁵⁵/, /sieŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• chiĕng - vernacular;
• siĕng - literary.

• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tshinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chvy
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡ɕʰĩ³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕʰĩ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian
    • Tâi-lô: sian
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siefn
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕiɛn³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sián
    • Tâi-lô: sián
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siern
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕiɛn⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ɕiɛn⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɛn⁴¹/

Note:

• chhiⁿ - vernacular;
• sian - literary;
• sián - alternative literary, used in some compounds (e.g. 鮮美).

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cin¹ / siang¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshiⁿ / siang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰĩ³³/, /siaŋ³³/

Note:

• cin1 - vernacular;
• siang1 - literary (used in 鮮卑).

• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xi (T1)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: sienn¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /siẽ³³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕiẽ³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 鮮
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕian⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/ɕian²¹/
	Jinan	/ɕiã²¹³/
	Qingdao	/siã²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/sian²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ɕiã²¹/
	Xining	/ɕiã⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ɕiɛ̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ɕian⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/ɕiɛn⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕyan⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ɕian⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ɕiɛ̃⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ɕyen³¹/
	Hefei	/ɕyĩ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕie¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ɕie̞¹³/
	Hohhot	/ɕie³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi⁵³/
	Suzhou	/siɪ⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ɕiẽ̞³³/
	Wenzhou	/ɕiɛ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕie³¹/ /ɕye³¹/
	Tunxi	/siɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/siẽ³³/
	Xiangtan	/siẽ³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕiɛn⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/sien⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/sien³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/sin⁵³/
	Nanning	/ɬin⁵⁵/ /ɬin³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/sin⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/sian⁵⁵/ /t͡sʰĩ⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/t͡sʰieŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/siŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/t͡sʰĩ³³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/sin³¹/ 朝～ /si²³/ 新～

---

• Middle Chinese: /siᴇn/

Rime
Character	鮮
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	相然切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/sjæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sian/
Li Rong	/siɛn/
Wang Li	/sĭɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sin1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s][a]r/, /*s[a]r/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sen/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	鮮	鮮
Reading #	1/3	2/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiān	xiān
Middle Chinese	‹ sjen ›	‹ sjen ›
Old Chinese	/*[s][a]r/	/*s[a]r/
English	fresh; good	鮮卑 *s[a]r.pe Xiānbēi
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	鮮
Reading #	1/3
No.	13490
Phonetic component	鮮
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	仙
Old Chinese	/*sen/
Notes	說文羴省聲

Definitions

鮮

1. live fish; aquatic food
2. fresh food; delicious food
3. fresh; not stale
4. new; recent
5. clear; vivid
6. brightly coloured; gaily coloured
7. delicious; tasty
8. special; peculiar
9. (Hakka) thin; dilute
10. a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 新鮮 (“fresh (food)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		新鮮
Mandarin	Beijing	新鮮
	Taiwan	新鮮
	Luoyang	新鮮
	Wanrong	新鮮
	Wuhan	新新
	Guiyang	新鮮
	Guilin	新鮮
	Malaysia	新鮮
	Singapore	新鮮
Cantonese	Guangzhou	新鮮
	Hong Kong	新鮮
	Taishan	生鮮
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	新鮮
	Penang (Guangfu)	新鮮
	Singapore (Guangfu)	新鮮
Gan	Pingxiang	新新, 新鮮
Hakka	Meixian	新鮮
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	萋, 新鮮
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	萋, 新鮮
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	萋, 新鮮
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	萋, 新鮮
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	萋, 新鮮
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	萋
Min Nan	Xiamen	鮮, 鮮尺
	Quanzhou	鮮, 鮮尺, 鮮臊
	Jinjiang	鮮尺
	Zhangzhou	鮮, 鮮尺, 鮮臊
	Zhao'an	鮮
	Dongshan	鮮
	Tainan	鮮, 鮮尺
	Penang (Hokkien)	鮮
	Singapore (Hokkien)	鮮, 鮮尺
	Manila (Hokkien)	鮮尺
	Chaozhou	鮮, 新鮮
	Shantou	鮮
	Singapore (Teochew)	鮮
	Wenchang	新鮮
	Haikou	生鮮
	Qionghai	新鮮
Wu	Shanghai (Chongming)	新鮮
	Suzhou	新鮮, 鮮鮮 dated
Xiang	Loudi	新新

Dialectal synonyms of 稀 (“dilute; thin”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		稀
Mandarin	Beijing	稀
	Taiwan	稀
	Jinan	稀
	Xi'an	稀
	Wuhan	稀, 清
	Chengdu	清, 稀
	Yangzhou	稀, 消
	Hefei	稀, 消
Cantonese	Guangzhou	稀
	Hong Kong	稀
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	稀
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	清
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	鮮
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	稀
	Macau	稀
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	稀
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	稀
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	稀
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	青
	Foshan	稀
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	稀
	Foshan (Shunde)	稀
	Foshan (Sanshui)	稀
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	稀
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	稀
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	稀
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	稀
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	稀
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	稀
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	稀
	Taishan	稀
	Kaiping (Chikan)	稀
	Enping (Niujiang)	稀
	Heshan (Yayao)	稀
	Dongguan	青
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	青
	Yangjiang	清
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	稀
Gan	Nanchang	清, 稀
Hakka	Meixian	鮮
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	稀
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	鮮
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	鮮
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	稀
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	鮮
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	鮮
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	鮮
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	鮮
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	鮮
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	鮮
	Hong Kong	鮮
	Senai (Huiyang)	鮮
Jin	Taiyuan	稀
Min Bei	Jian'ou	䭕
Min Dong	Fuzhou	清
Min Nan	Xiamen	漖, 飲
	Quanzhou	漖
	Zhangzhou	漖
	Chaozhou	漖, 𬓤
	Shantou	𬓤
	Shantou (Chenghai)	𬓤
	Jieyang	漖, 𬓤
	Bangkok (Teochew)	𬓤
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	𬓤
	Leizhou	浮
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	稀
Wu	Suzhou	薄
	Yuyao	薄, 朗
	Wenzhou	薄
Xiang	Changsha	清, 稀
	Shuangfeng	清, 稀

Compounds

Derived terms from 鮮

一朵鮮花插在牛糞上／一朵鲜花插在牛粪上 (yī duǒ xiānhuā chā zài niúfèn shàng) 三鮮／三鲜 保鮮／保鲜 (bǎoxiān) 保鮮盒／保鲜盒 保鮮膜／保鲜膜 (bǎoxiānmó) 光鮮／光鲜 (guāngxiān) 如烹小鮮／如烹小鲜 小鮮／小鲜 小鮮肉／小鲜肉 (xiǎoxiānròu) 屢見不鮮／屡见不鲜 (lǚjiànbùxiān) 嵐翠鮮明／岚翠鲜明 數見不鮮／数见不鲜 (shuòjiànbùxiān) 新鮮／新鲜 (xīnxiān) 新鮮事／新鲜事 新鮮人／新鲜人 (xīnxiānrén) 時鮮／时鲜 (shíxiān) 朝鮮／朝鲜 (Cháoxiǎn) 海鮮／海鲜 (hǎixiān, “seafood”) 甘鮮／甘鲜 生猛海鮮／生猛海鲜 (shēngměng hǎixiān)

生鮮／生鲜 (shēngxiān) 白羊鮮／白羊鲜 碧鮮／碧鲜 空水澄鮮／空水澄鲜 肥鮮／肥鲜 貓兒見了魚鮮飯／猫儿见了鱼鲜饭 送鮮／送鲜 魚鮮／鱼鲜 (yúxiān) 鮮乳／鲜乳 (xiānrǔ) 鮮亮／鲜亮 (xiānliàng) 鮮卑／鲜卑 (Xiānbēi) 鮮味／鲜味 (xiānwèi) 鮮奶／鲜奶 (xiānnǎi) 鮮奶油／鲜奶油 (xiānnǎiyóu) 鮮妍／鲜妍 鮮嫩／鲜嫩 (xiānnèn) 鮮明／鲜明 (xiānmíng) 鮮果／鲜果 (xiānguǒ) 鮮榮／鲜荣

鮮沢／鲜沢 (chhiⁿ-chhioh) (Min Nan) 鮮活／鲜活 (xiānhuó) 鮮潤／鲜润 鮮眉亮眼／鲜眉亮眼 鮮紅／鲜红 (xiānhóng) 鮮美／鲜美 (xiānměi) 鮮翠／鲜翠 (xiāncuì) 鮮肉／鲜肉 (xiānròu) 鮮花／鲜花 (xiānhuā) 鮮血／鲜血 (xiānxuè) 鮮血淋漓／鲜血淋漓 (xiānxuèlínlí) 鮮衣美食／鲜衣美食 鮮豔／鲜艳 (xiānyàn) 鮮豔奪目／鲜艳夺目 鮮貨／鲜货 鮮車怒馬／鲜车怒马 鮮食／鲜食 鮮飾／鲜饰 鮮麗／鲜丽 (xiānlì)

Etymology 2

Etymology not clear (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

trad.		鮮
simp.		鲜
alternative forms		鱻 尟 尠

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiǎn (xian³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin²
• Min Dong (BUC): siēng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): sián

  (Teochew, Peng'im): siang²

• Wu (Wiktionary): xi (T2)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siǎn
    • Wade–Giles: hsien³
    • Yale: syǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shean
    • Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛn²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin²
    • Yale: sín
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn³⁵/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: siēng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieŋ³³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sián
    • Tâi-lô: sián
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siern
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕiɛn⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ɕiɛn⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɛn⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: siang²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siáng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siaŋ⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xi (T2)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: /siᴇn^X/

Rime
Character	鮮
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	息淺切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇnX/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛnX/
Shao Rongfen	/sjænX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sianX/
Li Rong	/siɛnX/
Wang Li	/sĭɛnX/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛnX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiǎn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sin2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s][e]rʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*senʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	鮮
Reading #	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiǎn
Middle Chinese	‹ sjenX ›
Old Chinese	/*[s][e]rʔ/
English	rare, few
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	鮮
Reading #	2/3
No.	13492
Phonetic component	鮮
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	獮
Old Chinese	/*senʔ/
Notes	說文羴省聲

Definitions

鮮

1. rare; little; few

   • 量力而動，其過鮮矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     量力而动，其过鲜矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

     Liànglì ér dòng, qí guò xiǎn yǐ. [Pinyin]

     If one weighs one’s strength and then acts, one’s errors will be few.

2. rarely; infrequently

   • 子曰：「巧言令色，鮮矣仁！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：“巧言令色，鲜矣仁！” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐyuē: “Qiǎoyánlìngsè, xiǎn yǐ rén!” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue!"

3. to lack; to be short of
4. ^† Alternative form of 巘／𪩘 (yǎn, “the top of a mountain; cliff; small mountain”).

   • 度其鮮原，居岐之陽 [MSC, trad.]
     度其鲜原，居岐之阳 [MSC, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE

     dù qí xiǎn yuán, jū qí zhī yáng [Pinyin]

     He determined the small mountains and hills, settling in the south of Qi

Compounds

Derived terms from 鮮

倨傲鮮腆／倨傲鲜腆 寡廉鮮恥／寡廉鲜耻 (guǎliánxiǎnchǐ) 寡見鮮聞／寡见鲜闻 巧言令色，鮮矣仁／巧言令色，鲜矣仁 (qiǎoyánlìngsè, xiǎnyǐrén)

德薄能鮮／德薄能鲜 朝鮮／朝鲜 (Cháoxiǎn) 淺鮮／浅鲜 靡不有初，鮮克有終／靡不有初，鲜克有终

鮮少／鲜少 (xiǎnshǎo) 鮮民／鲜民 鮮為人知／鲜为人知 (xiǎnwéirénzhī)

Pronunciation

trad.		鮮
simp.		鲜

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiàn (xian⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin³
• Wu (Wiktionary): xi (T2)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siàn
    • Wade–Giles: hsien⁴
    • Yale: syàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiann
    • Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin³
    • Yale: sin
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin³
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xi (T2)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi³⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: /siᴇn^H/

Rime
Character	鮮
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	私箭切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇnH/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛnH/
Shao Rongfen	/sjænH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sianH/
Li Rong	/siɛnH/
Wang Li	/sĭɛnH/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sin3

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*sens/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	鮮
Reading #	3/3
No.	13496
Phonetic component	鮮
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	線
Old Chinese	/*sens/

Definitions

鮮

1. ^† Alternative form of 獻／献 (xiàn, “to offer; to present”).

Compounds

Derived terms from 鮮

惠鮮／惠鲜

Further reading

• “Entry #12480”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

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Japanese

Kanji

鮮

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

• Go-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: せん (sen, Jōyō)
• Kun: あざやか (azayaka, 鮮やか, Jōyō); すくない (sukunai, 鮮い); あたらしい (atarashii, 鮮しい)

Compounds

• 新鮮(しんせん) (shinsen)
• 鮮衣(せんい) (sen'i)
• 鮮花(せんか) (senka)
• 鮮華(せんか) (senka)
• 鮮暉(せんき) (senki)
• 鮮輝(せんき) (senki)
• 鮮魚(せんぎょ) (sengyo)
• 鮮血(せんけつ) (senketsu)
• 鮮潔(せんけつ) (senketsu)
• 鮮妍(せんけん) (senken)
• 鮮好(せんこう) (senkō)
• 鮮少(せんしょう) (senshō)
• 鮮色(せんしょく) (senshoku)
• 鮮食(せんしょく) (senshoku)
• 鮮飾(せんしょく) (senshoku)
• 鮮新(せんしん) (senshin)
• 鮮盛(せんせい) (sensei)
• 鮮腆(せんてん) (senten)
• 鮮白(せんびゃく) (senbyaku)
• 鮮美(せんび) (senbi)
• 鮮媚(せんび) (senbi)
• 鮮肥(せんぴ) (senpi)
• 鮮卑(せんぴ) (senpi)
• 鮮明(せんめい) (senmei)
• 鮮耀(せんよう) (sen'yō)
• 鮮麗(せんれい) (senrei)
• 朝鮮(ちょうせん) (chōsen)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
鮮
せん Grade: S
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 鮮 (MC siᴇn, siᴇn^X, siᴇn^H).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sẽ̞ɴ]

Affix

鮮(せん) • (sen) ^{←せん (sen)?}

1. fresh
2. vivid
3. (Empire of Japan) Korea

   全(ぜん)鮮(せん) ― zensen ― the entirety of Korea

   内(ない)鮮(せん)一体(いったい) ― naisen ittai ― unification of the mainland and Korea

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Korean

Hanja

鮮 (eumhun 고울 선 (goul seon))

1. Hanja form^? of 선 (“smooth; fish”).

Compounds

• 조선 (朝鮮, joseon, “Joseon; Korea”)
• 생선 (生鮮, saengseon, “fish”)
• 선혈 (鮮血, seonhyeol, “recently spilled blood”)

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Vietnamese

Han character

鮮: Hán Nôm readings: tiên, tắn

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.