鲜 (xiān) — fresh (of food, flowers, etc.); delicious, tasty; bright (of color)
Definition
鲜 (xiān) covers two ideas: 'fresh' (food, flowers) and 'delicious/tasty' — the second sense is more colloquial than 美味 or 好吃. For 'bright (of color)' it modifies a color word (e.g. 鲜红), unlike 艳丽 which describes flowers or clothing.
adjective
fresh (of food, flowers, etc.)delicioustastybright (of color)
Examples
- 鲜。Zhè xiē shuǐ guǒ hěn xiān.These fruits are very fresh.
- 鲜。Zhè ge cài hěn xiān.This dish is very delicious.
- 。Zhè jiàn yī fu shì xiān hóng de.This piece of clothing is bright red.
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 鮮; 鲜 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
魚魚yúfish
Sound part声符shēngfú
羴
羴shān鮮xiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 鮮 pairs 魚 (fish) with 羴, which gives the sound; this note is about 鮮, not 鲜.
Appears in
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