TongTong
Sign in

仙女 (xiān nǚ) — fairy (in Chinese mythology, often depicted as a beautiful celestial maiden)

Definition

仙女 specifically means a female celestial being — a fairy or goddess. 神仙 is gender-neutral ('immortal / supernatural being') and can be used figuratively for anyone living a carefree life.

noun
fairy (in Chinese mythology, often depicted as a beautiful celestial maiden)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，仙女。
    Tā jīn tiān chuān dé zhēn měi, jiǎn zhí xiàng xiān nǚ yí yàng.
    She's dressed so beautifully today, just like a fairy.
  • 仙女。
    Měi gè hái zi dōu ài tīng xiān nǚ de gù shi.
    Every child loves to hear stories about fairies.
  • ，仙女。
    Gǔ dài chuán shuō zhōng, xiān nǚ zhù zài tiān shàng de gōng diàn lǐ.
    In ancient legends, fairies live in palaces in the sky.

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
女nǚwoman

仙 describes the woman as immortal, so the word means a fairy.

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.

女 shows a woman with folded arms, kneeling or standing. In the modern form the figure faces right, and the small enclosed part is what is left of one arm.

Open 女 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Mythology & Folklore

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