賢 meaning and stroke order
Virtuous, worthy; good, able
How to write 賢, stroke by stroke
15 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 賢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- worthy or virtuous person
- honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation
How 賢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
貝 gives the meaning and 臤 hints at the sound.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 賢
賢 (xián) puts 臤 on top of 貝, the shell that stood for money and value. Think of a worthy person as someone whose character is as valuable as treasure, with 臤 giving the sound.
賢 describes people of wisdom and virtue and appears mostly in set words and formal or classical language, such as 圣贤 (shèngxián, sage). It is also used politely when addressing someone of the same or a younger generation, as in 贤弟 (xiándì, my worthy younger brother). Example: 他是一位贤人。(Tā shì yí wèi xiánrén.) He is a virtuous man.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 賢 with 堅 (jiān, firm) and 緊 (jǐn, tight), which share the same top part 臤. Check the bottom: 賢 has 貝 (shell), 堅 has 土 (earth), and 緊 has 糸 (silk).
Common words with 賢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 聖賢 | shèngxián | a sage; wise and holy man | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 賢
How many strokes are in 賢?
賢 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 賢 mean?
賢 (xián) means virtuous, worthy; good, able. A common word with it is 圣贤 (shèngxián), meaning "a sage; wise and holy man".
How do you pronounce 賢?
賢 is pronounced xián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 賢?
The radical of 賢 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 賢 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 賢?
賢 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 贤, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How is 賢 written in simplified Chinese?
In mainland China it is written 贤. The top becomes 収-like 〢又 and 貝 becomes 贝, as in 圣贤 (shèngxián).
What are some common words with 賢?
Useful ones include 贤惠 (xiánhuì, kind and capable, often said of a wife), 贤能 (xiánnéng, virtuous and able), and 贤明 (xiánmíng, wise and sensible, often said of leaders).