TongTong
Sign in

仙人 (xiān rén) — celestial being; immortal (in Chinese mythology and Daoism); very beautiful woman; fairy-like beauty

Definition

In Chinese mythology and Daoism, a 仙人 is a transcendent being who has achieved immortality through cultivation — distinct from everyday 神话 figures. By extension, it describes a woman of otherworldly, fairy-like beauty.

noun
celestial beingimmortal (in Chinese mythology and Daoism)very beautiful womanfairy-like beauty
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 仙人。
    Chuán shuō zhè zuò shān shàng yǒu xiān rén jū zhù.
    Legend says immortals live on this mountain.
  • 仙人。
    Tā cháng dé xiàng xiān rén yí yàng piào liang.
    She is as beautiful as a fairy.
  • 仙人。
    Dào jiào rèn wéi tōng guò xiū liàn kě yǐ chéng wéi xiān rén.
    Daoism believes one can become an immortal through cultivation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

仙xiānimmortal
人rénperson

“仙” (immortal) and “人” (person) combine to mean an immortal person.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

仙 pairs 亻 (person) with 山 (mountain), showing a person moving into a mountain to become immortal; 山 also gives the sound.

Open 仙 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Mythology & Folklore

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.