憲 meaning and stroke order
Constitution, statute, law
How to write 憲, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 憲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- statute
- constitution
How 憲 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Rules 宀 for living 龶; 心 provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 憲
Under the roof 宀, rules for living 龶 are watched over by an eye 罒 and kept in the heart 心. A constitution is the set of rules a whole household or nation agrees to live by.
憲 (xiàn) is almost never used alone in modern Chinese. It appears in formal words about law and government, most often 憲法 (xiànfǎ, constitution). Example: 這是憲法規定的權利。(Zhè shì xiànfǎ guīdìng de quánlì.) This is a right set out in the constitution.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes drop the 罒 eye part or merge it with the strokes above, which makes the character look like a jumble of 害 (hài) and 心. Keep the order clear from top to bottom: 宀, then 龶, then 罒, then 心.
Common words with 憲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 憲法 | xiànfǎ | constitution (of a country) | HSK 7-9 |
| 憲兵 | xiànbīng | military police | |
| 憲兵隊 | xiànbīngduì | military police corps |
Questions about 憲
How many strokes are in 憲?
憲 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 憲 mean?
憲 (xiàn) means constitution, statute, law. A common word with it is 宪法 (xiànfǎ), meaning "constitution (of a country)".
How do you pronounce 憲?
憲 is pronounced xiàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 憲?
The radical of 憲 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 憲 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 憲?
憲 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 宪, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 憲兵 mean, and is it the same as ordinary police?
憲兵 (xiànbīng) means military police. They are part of the armed forces, unlike regular police, who are 警察 (jǐngchá).
How is 憲 different from 法 when both relate to law?
法 (fǎ) is the general word for law or method and appears in many everyday words. 憲 (xiàn) is narrower and points to the highest, founding law, as in 憲法 (xiànfǎ), or to things connected with it.