ENESFRDE中文

Characters, words, pinyin or English

鲜 xiān fresh

fresh; tasty; bright

How to remember 鲜: 鱼 fish + 羊 sheep = fresh. At the dawn market the chef sniffs a fish, then the sheep cheese, and buys only what is perfectly fresh.

  • 958. most frequent character
  • HSK 3
  • 14 strokes
  • Radical 魚

Component breakdown

鲜 = 鱼 fish + 羊 sheep

  • 鱼 fish
  • 羊 sheep
The Gushi story

At the dawn market the chef sniffs a fish, then the sheep cheese, and buys only what is perfectly fresh.

How it is used

  • Main reading xiān = 'fresh/tasty' - 新鲜 (xīnxiān) fresh, 海鲜 (hǎixiān) seafood, 鲜花 (xiānhuā) fresh flowers.
  • Extended 'bright/vivid' - 鲜艳 (xiānyàn) brightly colored, 鲜明 (xiānmíng) clear-cut/distinct (of contrast or stance).
  • Rare second reading xiǎn = 'rare/few', as in 鲜为人知 (xiǎn wéi rén zhī) little known - a common trap to read xiān there.
  • The 鱼 fish + 羊 lamb components literally combine two 'delicious' foods.

Words with 鲜

Example sentences

  • 这些水果很新鲜。 Zhèixiē shuǐguǒ hěn xīnxian.The fruit is very fresh.