鲜艳 (xiān yàn) — bright and colorful; vivid; gaily-colored

Definition

Used for colors and clothing that are strikingly bright and rich. Unlike 鲜明, which also covers clear-cut ideas/contrasts, 鲜艳 is only for vivid color.

adjective

bright and colorfulvividgaily-colored

鲜艳。
Zhè jiàn xiān yàn de yī fu zhēn hǎo kàn.
This bright-colored piece of clothing is really nice.
鲜艳。
Zhè xiē huā fēi cháng xiān yàn.
These flowers are very bright and colorful.
鲜艳。
Nà zhāng huà yán sè hěn xiān yàn.
The colors in that painting are very vivid.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

艳yàngorgeous

鲜 gives brightness, 艳 gives colorfulness, so 鲜艳 is vivid.

Characters in this word

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 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.

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 豔; 艳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

豐豐fēngabundant, great

Sound part声符shēngfú

盇

盇hé豔yàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 豔 pairs 豐 (abundant, great) with a sound component 盇; the simplified 艳 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in