羡 (xiàn) — envy; admire (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

羡 (xiàn) is a bound morph meaning 'envy / admire,' never used alone — it must combine with 慕, 艳, or 妒 to form common compounds (羡慕, 艳羡, 嫉妒).

bound form

envyadmire (bound form, used in compounds)

Easily confused

。
Tā fēi cháng xiàn mù bié rén de chéng jiù.
He greatly admires others' achievements.
羡。
Zhè zhǒng yōu xián de shēng huó ràng rén yàn xiàn bù yǐ.
This leisurely lifestyle makes people admire it endlessly.
羡。
Tā yǎn zhōng liú lù chū xiàn dù de shén sè.
Her eyes showed a look of envy and jealousy.

Compound ideograph

六书liùshū

会意huìyì

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 羨; 羡 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 羨 combines 羊 (sheep) and 㳄 (saliva) to express envy; the different form 羡 is not the one whose parts are explained.