显现 (xiǎn xiàn) — to appear, to become visible, to manifest

Definition

Implies something hidden or latent gradually becomes visible — more literary than 出现, and emphasizes a quality (talent, symptom) revealing itself rather than a person or thing simply showing up.

verb
to appearto become visibleto manifest

Examples

  • 显现。
    Wèn tí zhú jiàn xiǎn xiàn chū lái.
    The problems gradually appeared.
  • 显现。
    Tā de cái néng zài gōng zuò zhōng xiǎn xiàn chū lái.
    His talent manifested itself at work.
  • 显现。
    Zhèng zhuàng kāi shǐ xiǎn xiàn.
    Symptoms began to appear.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

显xiǎnshow
现xiànappear

显 (show) and 现 (appear) together mean to become visible or manifest.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顯; 显 is its simplified writing.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 絲絲sīsilk
  • 頁頁yèperson's head

For 显, the traditional form 顯 is made of 日 (sun), 絲 (silk), and 頁 (person's head).

Open 显 →

Most 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 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
見
見jiàn現
Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Senses

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