咸 (xián) — salty
Definition
咸 (xián) is the everyday adjective for the taste of salt — salty. Unlike the listed siblings (每, 各, 普遍, etc.), which are about 'each/every' or 'widespread', 咸 only describes flavor, so no near-synonym contrast applies.
adjective
salty
Examples
- 咸，。Zhè ge cài tài xián le, wǒ chī bú xià qù.This dish is too salty; I can't eat it.
- 咸。Wǒ bù xǐ huan chī tài xián de dōng xī.I don't like eating things that are too salty.
- ，咸。Qǐng shǎo fàng diǎn yán, bù rán huì tài xián.Please put less salt, otherwise it'll be too salty.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 鹹; 咸 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
鹵鹵lǔsalt
The traditional form 鹹 pairs 鹵 (salt) with 咸 as a sound part; the simplified 咸 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.
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