Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
咸xián(Xian2)
The character 咸 (xián) has multiple meanings, primarily relating to saltiness or being salty, as well as concepts of harmony and universality. It is often used in contexts that emphasize inclusivity or togetherness, such as everyone or all. Additionally, it can refer to a surname, adding a personal touch in certain contexts.
Strokes9Radical口Frequency#7961DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese cuisine, salt plays a vital role, and the concept of '咸' is integral to many traditional dishes. The balance of salty flavors is often seen as a metaphor for harmony in relationships and society.
Memory tip
Imagine a giant salt shaker (咸) that pours salt over everyone at a feast, making the food delightful for all. The character looks like a person (口) at a banquet (咸), enjoying harmony and unity through shared flavors.
Meanings of 咸
xián(Xian2)
1all
2everyone
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
Play it, then pick what 咸 means.
About 咸
咸Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7961Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 咸
Podcast: 咸
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI study notes for 咸
Quick Contrast
咸 (xián) vs 全 (quán) — use 咸 to emphasize inclusivity or togetherness, while 全 emphasizes completeness or entirety.
Usage Notes
Be cautious about using 咸 in formal settings, as it can have informal or colloquial connotations. It's commonly used in phrases such as '咸鱼' (xián yú, salted fish) or '咸淡' (xián dàn, salty and bland), which highlight its culinary use. Mispronouncing the tone could lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words.
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 4, students should focus on recognizing 咸 as a character that combines both culinary and social meanings. It’s a good example of how characters can have diverse applications and should be practiced with related words like '咸淡' and other food-related vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 咸 with 嫌 (xián, to dislike), leading to sentences like '我咸这个菜' (I salty this dish), which should be corrected to '我不喜欢这个菜' (I don’t like this dish). Additionally, misapplying its usage in reference to non-salty items can cause confusion.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 咸
Premium — Locked
Tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 咸, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 咸 through them.
Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.
How well do you know 咸?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 咸 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
Depicts a massacre with a weapon (戌), based on the original meaning "slaughter; terminate". The meaning later shifted to "finish", "complete", and "all". In simplified Chinese 咸 is also used to mean "salty", while in traditional Chinese this meaning i
The character 咸 (xián) has multiple meanings, primarily relating to saltiness or being salty, as well as concepts of harmony and universality. It is often used in contexts that emphasize inclusivity or togetherness, such as everyone or all. Additionally, it can refer to a surname, adding a personal touch in certain contexts.
When to use 咸
Be cautious about using 咸 in formal settings, as it can have informal or colloquial connotations. It's commonly used in phrases such as '咸鱼' (xián yú, salted fish) or '咸淡' (xián dàn, salty and bland), which highlight its culinary use. Mispronouncing the tone could lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words.
咸 or something close to it
咸 (xián) vs 全 (quán) — use 咸 to emphasize inclusivity or togetherness, while 全 emphasizes completeness or entirety.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 咸 with 嫌 (xián, to dislike), leading to sentences like '我咸这个菜' (I salty this dish), which should be corrected to '我不喜欢这个菜' (I don’t like this dish). Additionally, misapplying its usage in reference to non-salty items can cause confusion.
Write 咸
咸
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 咸 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar patterns of 咸
咸 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 11 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Noodle dishes into thinness, Marinates Instant , tomato sauce, aroma spell, then great.
Ask Jason
Have a question about 咸?
Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.
Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.
Word Family of 咸
Compounds22
减jiǎnto lower
喊hǎnto yell
碱jiǎnalkaline, alkali, lye, salt
缄jiānto seal, to close, to bind; a letter
箴zhēnneedle, probe; to admonish, to warn
減jiǎnto decrease, to subtract, to diminish
堿jiǎnsalty
葴zhēn
諴xián
嵅hán
椷jiān
煘chán
瑊jiān
緘jiānto seal, to close, to bind; a letter
羬qián
輱xián
醎xián
鍼zhēn
鰔gǎn
鹹xiánall, together, united; salted
麙xián
黬yán
Words containing this character20
咸xiánall
咸鱼xiányúsalted fish鹹魚
咸菜xiáncàipickles鹹菜
咸肉xiánròubacon鹹肉
咸阳xiányángXianyang prefecture level city in Shaanxi咸陽
咸丰xiánfēngreign name of Qing emperor (1850-1861)咸豐
咸水xiánshuǐbrine鹹水
咸宁xiánníngXianning prefecture level city in Hubei咸寧
咸兴xiánxīngHamhung, North Korea咸興
咸阳市xiányángshìXianyang prefecture level city in Shaanxi咸陽市
咸淡xiándàndegree of saltiness鹹淡
老少咸宜lǎoshàoxiányísuitable for young and old
咸宁市xiánníngshìXianning prefecture level city in Hubei咸寧市
咸水湖xiánshuǐhúsalt lake鹹水湖
咸海xiánhǎiAral Sea鹹海
咸安区xián’ānqūXian'an district of Xianning city 咸寧市|咸宁市[Xiánníngshì], Hubei咸安區
咸盐xiányántable salt鹹鹽
阮咸ruǎnxiánsurname Ruan
咸丰县xiánfēngxiànXianfeng county in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture 恩施土家族苗族自治州[EnshīTǔjiāzúMiáozúzìzhìzhōu], Hubei咸豐縣
咸兴市xiánxīngshìHamhung, North Korea咸興市
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 咸
What does 减 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 咸
咸 (xián) means 'salty,' while 甜 (tián) means 'sweet.' These terms are often used to describe flavors in food and can also be used metaphorically in various contexts. Understanding these differences can enhance your Chinese language skills, especially in culinary discussions.
The surname 咸 (Xián) is one of the Chinese surnames and might not be as common as others. It carries historical significance and can be found in various regions in China. Like many surnames, it may also have specific family lineage or regional ties.
咸 can be used in phrases like 咸鱼 (xián yú), which means 'salty fish.' When used to imply 'everyone,' you could say '咸人都来了' (xián rén dōu lái le), meaning 'Everyone has come.' It's important to understand the context to use it correctly.
咸 (xián) primarily means 'salty' in Chinese, but it can also refer to 'everyone' or 'each' in certain contexts. Additionally, it can describe something that is widespread or harmonious. It can also be a surname.
The primary meanings include salty, all, or everyone.
It is generally more informal, so be cautious using it in formal writing or speeches.
It is pronounced with the second tone, xián.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 咸?
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.
A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.
