Meaning of 鲜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- fresh
- bright (in color)
- delicious
- tasty
- delicacy
- aquatic foods
- fish
- old variant of 鮮|鲜[xian1]
- few
- rare
- variant of 鮮|鲜[xian3]
How to use 鲜
鲜 (xiān) usually appears in compounds about freshness, bright color, or tasty food, such as 新鲜 (xīnxiān), 海鲜 (hǎixiān), and 鲜艳 (xiānyàn). On its own it often describes a savory, rich flavor in soups and broths. Example: 这个汤很鲜。 (Zhège tāng hěn xiān.) This soup is really savory.
鲜 is made of 鱼 (yú, fish) on the left and 羊 (yáng, sheep) on the right. Picture a feast of fresh fish and lamb, the two tastiest things a cook can serve, and you have "fresh" and "delicious."
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 美 or forget that 羊 here has its vertical stroke running straight through. Also note the less common reading xiǎn (rare, few), as in 鲜为人知 (xiǎn wéi rén zhī), which is easy to misread with first tone.
鲜 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
鲜 xiān · fresh · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 鲜.
| 新鲜 | xīnxiān | fresh (experience, food etc); freshness |
| 鲜花 | xiānhuā | flower; fresh flowers |
| 海鲜 | hǎixiān | seafood |
| 鲜明 | xiānmíng | (of colors) bright; fresh and clear; clear-cut; distinct |
| 鲜艳 | xiānyàn | bright-colored; gaily-colored |
| 鲜血 | xiānxuè | blood |
| 鲜活 | xiānhuó | vivid; lively; (of food ingredients) live or fresh |
| 保鲜 | bǎoxiān | to keep fresh; to preserve freshness |
| 鲜美 | xiānměi | fresh and delicious; tasty |
| 光鲜 | guāngxiān | bright and neat |
| 鲜红 | xiānhóng | scarlet; bright red |
| 鲜奶油 | xiānnǎiyóu | cream; whipped cream |
Questions about 鲜
What does 鲜 mean?
鲜 (xiān) means "fresh; bright (in color)" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 鲜?
鲜 is made of 1 character: 鲜 (14 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 鲜 an HSK word?
Yes. 鲜 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 鲜 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 鲜 is written 鮮.
What is the difference between 新鲜 and 鲜?
新鲜 (xīnxiān) is the everyday word for fresh food, air, or a new experience, as in 新鲜空气 (xīnxiān kōngqì, fresh air). 鲜 alone is more often used to describe a savory, delicious taste, or it appears inside set compounds.
Why does 朝鲜 use 鲜?
朝鲜 (Cháoxiǎn) is the name for Korea, especially North Korea, and here 鲜 is part of a proper name rather than meaning fresh. In mainland Mandarin it is commonly read Cháoxiǎn, so pay attention to the third tone.