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仙 (xiān) — immortal, celestial being (used as a bound form in compound nouns)

Definition

Bound morpheme meaning 'immortal' — a supernatural being in Chinese mythology. It only appears in compounds like 仙人, 仙女, 神仙, never as a standalone word.

bound form
immortalcelestial being (used as a bound form in compound nouns)

Examples

  • 。
    Zhōng guó shén huà lǐ yǒu hěn duō shén xiān.
    There are many immortals in Chinese mythology.
  • ，。
    Tā chuān zhuó bái sè qún zi, xiàng xiān nǚ yí yàng měi.
    She is dressed in a white skirt, as beautiful as a fairy maiden.
  • ，。
    Tā xiū liàn duō nián, zhōng yú chéng le shén xiān.
    After years of practice, he finally became an immortal.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

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.

Appears in
Mythology & Folklore5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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