Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
跹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
跹xiānto walk about; to revolve; to dancex, 13 strokes, radical 足
跹xiānto manner of dancingunknown, 13 strokes, radical 足
跹xiānto walk aroundunknown, 13 strokes, radical 足
xiān(xian1) T1
  1. 1to walk about; to revolve; to dance
  2. 2to manner of dancing
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

跹(躚)xiān(xian1)

The character 跹 (xiān) refers to the act of walking about, revolving, or dancing. It often conveys a sense of lightness and grace in movement, particularly in contexts related to dance or playful walking. This character can be used to describe both physical actions and metaphorical ideas of wandering or exploring.

Strokes13Radical足
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, dance plays a significant role in festivals and celebrations, often symbolizing joy and auspiciousness. The character 跹 embodies this cultural appreciation for dance and movement.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dancer gracefully twirling (the 's' sound in 'xiān' resembles 'spin') as they walk about, their feet barely touching the ground. The radical '足' (foot) at the bottom of the character emphasizes movement, while the top part suggests a gentle, flowing motion.

Meanings of 跹

xiān(xian1)
1to walk about; to revolve; to dance
2to manner of dancing
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 跹

跹Simplified
躚Traditional
13Strokes
足Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 跹

JasonAmy

Podcast: 跹

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 跹

Quick Contrast

舞 (wǔ, dance) - use 跹 when emphasizing lightness and grace in movement, while 舞 focuses more on the formal aspect of dance.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 跹, as it is pronounced with a first tone (xiān). This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for literary or poetic contexts. It can often be paired with words related to dance or movement.

HSK Study Tips

Although 跹 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be a valuable addition for learners interested in dance or poetry. Focus on its relationship with other movement-related characters like 路 (lù, road) and 走 (zǒu, to walk) to enhance understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 跹 with similar characters like 路 (lù, road) due to the shared radical. For example, saying '我去路' (Wǒ qù lù) instead of '我去走' (Wǒ qù zǒu) when intending to say 'I am going to walk' can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 跹

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 跹 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 跹

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

foot

Semantic (meaning)足
+
Phonetic (sound)迁
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 跹

  1. 1The meaning half足 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half迁 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfoot
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 跹? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 跹?

Decomposition of 跹

IDS Structure⿰足迁
跹Full Character
=
足ju4
left
迁qian1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 跹?

How to say to walk about; to revolve; to dance in Chinese

“to walk about; to revolve; to dance” in Chinese is跹xiān

The character 跹 (xiān) refers to the act of walking about, revolving, or dancing. It often conveys a sense of lightness and grace in movement, particularly in contexts related to dance or playful walking. This character can be used to describe both physical actions and metaphorical ideas of wandering or exploring.

When to use 跹

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 跹, as it is pronounced with a first tone (xiān). This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for literary or poetic contexts. It can often be paired with words related to dance or movement.

跹 or something close to it

舞 (wǔ, dance) - use 跹 when emphasizing lightness and grace in movement, while 舞 focuses more on the formal aspect of dance.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 跹 with similar characters like 路 (lù, road) due to the shared radical. For example, saying '我去路' (Wǒ qù lù) instead of '我去走' (Wǒ qù zǒu) when intending to say 'I am going to walk' can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 跹

跹

Practice writing 跹 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 跹

Words Containing This Character2
跹xiānto walk around躚
翩跹spry and lively (of dancing and movements)翩躚
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 跹 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 跹

No, 跹 is more often found in literary contexts or discussions about dance rather than in everyday speech.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 跹?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.