# 賢

| 賢 | U+8CE2, &#36066; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8CE2 |
| ← 賡 [U+8CE1] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 賣 → [U+8CE3] |

## Translingual

| Japanese | 賢 |
| Simplified | 贤 |
| Traditional | 賢 |

### Han character

賢 (Kangxi radical 154, 貝+8 in Chinese, 貝+9 in Japanese, 15 strokes in Chinese, 16 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 尸水月山金 (SEBUC), four-corner 7780$_6$, composition ⿱臤貝 or ⿱䁂八)

#### Derived characters

* 礥(𰧇) 臔 藖(𬜾) 鑦 㘋 䉯 𡮷 𡮺 𢤞 𢸒 𤂐 𪦬 𫣴(𫢲)

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1209, character 28
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 36822
* Dae Jaweon: page 1674, character 17
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3646, character 6
* Unihan data for U+8CE2

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 賢
* Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
* Small seal script
| | Old Chinese |
| 臤 | *kʰaːn, *kʰriːn, *ɡiːn, *kʰins |
| 掔 | *kʰriːn, *kʰiːn |
| 慳 | *kʰriːn |
| 藖 | *ɡriːn, *ɡriːns |
| 堅 | *kiːn |
| 鋻 | *kiːn, *kiːns |
| 鰹 | *kiːn |
| 蜸 | *kʰiːnʔ |
| 菣 | *kʰiːns, *kʰins |
| 賢 | *ɡiːn |
| 礥 | *ɡiːn, *ɢrin |
| 臔 | *ɡiːnʔ |
| 挋 | *kiŋs |
| 臣 | *ɡiŋ |
| 茞 | *ɡiŋ |
| 腎 | *ɡjinʔ |
| 頣 | *hŋiŋʔ |
| 緊 | *kinʔ |
| 嚚 | *ŋɡriŋ |
| 鏗 | *kʰreːŋ |
| 摼 | *kʰreːŋ |
| 硻 | *kʰreːŋ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡiːn): phonetic 臤 (OC *kʰaːn, *kʰriːn, *ɡiːn, *kʰins) + semantic 貝 (“money”) – worthy, valuable (like money)

### Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): xián (xian$^2$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xian$^2$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jin$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): yen$^3$
* Gan (Wiktionary): xien$^4$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): hièn / hiàn
    (Hailu, HRS): hien
    (Meixian, Guangdong): hian$^2$
* Jin (Wiktionary): xie$^1$
* Northern Min (KCR): hǐng
* Eastern Min (BUC): hièng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): heng$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): hiân
    (Teochew, Peng'im): hiang$^5$ / hiêng$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$yi
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): xienn$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: xián
*** Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: sián
*** Wade–Giles: hsien$^2$
*** Yale: syán
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyan
*** Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ɕi̯ɛn³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: xian$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xian
*** Sinological IPA : /ɕiɛn²¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jin$^4$
*** Yale: yìhn
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jin$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yin$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːn²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: yen$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /jen²²/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: xien$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɕiɛn³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hièn
*** Hakka Romanization System: hien$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: hian$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /hi̯en¹¹/
** (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hiàn
*** Hakka Romanization System: hian$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: hian$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /hi̯an¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: hien
*** Sinological IPA: /hien⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: hian$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /hian¹¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: xie$^1$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie¹¹/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hǐng
*** Sinological IPA : /xiŋ²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: hièng
*** Sinological IPA : /hieŋ⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: heng$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: héng
*** Sinological IPA : /hɛŋ¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiân
*** Tâi-lô: hiân
*** Phofsit Daibuun: hieen
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /hiɛn²³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei): /hiɛn²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɛn¹³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: hiang$^5$ / hiêng$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hiâng / hiêng
*** Sinological IPA : /hiaŋ⁵⁵/, /hieŋ⁵⁵/
* hiang5 - Shantou;
* hiêng5 - Chaozhou.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit賢 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /ɕian³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /ɕian²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /ɕian⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /ɕiã⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /ɕiã⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /ɕian⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /ɕiã²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /ɕiã²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /ɕian⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /ɕiɛ̃n⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /ɕian⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /ɕiɛn²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /ɕian³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /ɕian²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /ɕiɛ̃³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /ɕien²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /ɕiĩ⁵⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /ɕie¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /ɕie̞¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /ɕie³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /ɦi²³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /ɦiɪ¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /ɦiẽ̞²¹³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /ji³¹/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /ɕie⁴⁴/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /ɕiɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /ɕiẽ¹³/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /ɕiẽ¹²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /ɕiɛn⁴⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /hian¹¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /hien¹¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /jin²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /jin²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /jin²¹/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /hian³⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /hieŋ⁵³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /xiŋ²¹/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /hiaŋ⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /hin³¹/ |
* Middle Chinese: hen
Rime :
| Character | 賢 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 匣 (33) |
| Final (韻) | 先 (85) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | IV |
| Fanqie | 胡田切 |
| Baxter | hen |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ɦen/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ɦen/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ɣɛn/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ɦɛn/ |
| Li Rong | /ɣen/ |
| Wang Li | /ɣien/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ɣien/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | xián |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jin$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[g]ˤi[n]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ɡiːn/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 賢 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | xián |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ hen › |
| Old Chinese | /*[g]ˁi[n]/ |
| English | worthy |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 賢 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 1337 |
| Phonetic component | 臣 |
| Rime group | 眞 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 賢 |
| Old Chinese | /*ɡiːn/ |

#### Definitions

賢
* virtuous; good; clever; wise; worthy
* able; capable

#### Compounds

* 不賢都頭 / 不贤都头
* 任人唯賢 / 任人唯贤 (rènrénwéixián)
* 任賢仗能 / 任贤仗能
* 任賢使能 / 任贤使能
* 任賢用能 / 任贤用能
* 傳賢 / 传贤
* 傲賢慢士 / 傲贤慢士
* 先賢 / 先贤 (xiānxián)
* 八賢 / 八贤 (Bāxián)
* 前賢 / 前贤 (qiánxián)
* 古聖先賢 / 古圣先贤
* 古賢 / 古贤 (gǔxián)
* 吐哺待賢 / 吐哺待贤
* 名賢 / 名贤
* 大賢 / 大贤 (dàxián)
* 大賢大德 / 大贤大德
* 大賢虎變 / 大贤虎变
* 好賢禮士 / 好贤礼士 (hàoxiánlǐshì)
* 妒能害賢 / 妒能害贤
* 妒賢嫉能 / 妒贤嫉能
* 妒賢疾能 / 妒贤疾能
* 嫉賢 / 嫉贤 (jíxián)
* 嫉賢妒能 / 嫉贤妒能
* 子孝孫賢 / 子孝孙贤
* 孝子賢孫 / 孝子贤孙 (xiàozǐxiánsūn)
* 尊賢使能 / 尊贤使能
* 尊賢愛物 / 尊贤爱物
* 屈尊敬賢 / 屈尊敬贤
* 左賢王 / 左贤王
* 廢賢失政 / 废贤失政
* 忠孝賢良 / 忠孝贤良
* 忠賢 / 忠贤
* 思賢如渴 / 思贤如渴
* 招賢 / 招贤 (zhāoxián)
* 招賢下士 / 招贤下士
* 招賢納士 / 招贤纳士 (zhāoxiánnàshì)
* 授職惟賢 / 授职惟贤
* 推賢下士 / 推贤下士
* 推賢任人 / 推贤任人
* 掩賢妒善 / 掩贤妒善
* 推賢樂善 / 推贤乐善
* 推賢舉善 / 推贤举善
* 推賢讓能 / 推贤让能
* 推賢進善 / 推贤进善
* 推賢進士 / 推贤进士
* 推賢遜能 / 推贤逊能
* 敬老尊賢 / 敬老尊贤
* 敬賢 / 敬贤 (jìngxián)
* 敬賢禮士 / 敬贤礼士 (jìngxiánlǐshì)
* 明賢 / 明贤
* 時賢 / 时贤
* 普賢 / 普贤 (Pǔxián)
* 欽賢好士 / 钦贤好士
* 殘賢害善 / 残贤害善
* 求賢 / 求贤
* 求賢下士 / 求贤下士
* 求賢如渴 / 求贤如渴
* 求賢用士 / 求贤用士
* 求賢若渴 / 求贤若渴
* 清聖濁賢 / 清圣浊贤
* 玉賢 / 玉贤 (Yùxián)
* 用賢任能 / 用贤任能
* 社會賢達 / 社会贤达
* 禮士親賢 / 礼士亲贤
* 禮賢下士 / 礼贤下士 (lǐxiánxiàshì)
* 禮賢好士 / 礼贤好士
* 禮賢接士 / 礼贤接士
* 禮賢遠佞 / 礼贤远佞
* 稱賢薦能 / 称贤荐能
* 立賢無方 / 立贤无方
* 竹林七賢 / 竹林七贤 (Zhúlín Qīxián)
* 竹賢 / 竹贤 (Zhúxián)
* 納士招賢 / 纳士招贤
* 群賢 / 群贤 (qúnxián)
* 群賢畢至 / 群贤毕至 (qúnxiánbìzhì)
* 老賢姪 / 老贤侄
* 聖經賢傳 / 圣经贤传
* 聖賢 / 圣贤 (shèngxián)
* 聖賢爺 / 圣贤爷
* 至賢 / 至贤
* 舉賢任能 / 举贤任能
* 舉賢使能 / 举贤使能
* 良將賢相 / 良将贤相
* 蔽賢 / 蔽贤 (bìxián)
* 蔽賢寵頑 / 蔽贤宠顽
* 薦賢 / 荐贤
* 薦賢任能 / 荐贤任能
* 薦賢舉能 / 荐贤举能
* 褒賢遏惡 / 褒贤遏恶
* 見賢不隱 / 见贤不隐
* 見賢思齊 / 见贤思齐 (jiànxiánsīqí)
* 親賢 / 亲贤
* 識才尊賢 / 识才尊贤
* 議賢 / 议贤
* 讓賢 / 让贤 (ràngxián)
* 象賢 / 象贤
* 貞懿賢淑 / 贞懿贤淑
* 賢人 / 贤人 (xiánrén)
* 賢伉儷 / 贤伉俪
* 賢俊 / 贤俊
* 賢內助 / 贤内助 (xiánnèizhù)
* 賢勞 / 贤劳
* 賢君 / 贤君 (xiánjūn)
* 賢否不明 / 贤否不明
* 賢哲 / 贤哲 (xiánzhé)
* 賢喬梓 / 贤乔梓
* 賢士 / 贤士 (xiánshì)
* 賢契 / 贤契
* 賢妃 / 贤妃
* 賢奸倒置
* 賢姊 / 贤姊
* 賢妻 / 贤妻 (xiánqī)
* 賢妻良母 / 贤妻良母 (xiánqīliángmǔ)
* 賢婿 / 贤婿
* 賢孝 / 贤孝 (xiánxiào)
* 賢家 / 贤家
* 賢尊 / 贤尊
* 賢弟 / 贤弟 (xiándì)
* 賢彥 / 贤彦
* 賢從 / 贤从
* 賢德 / 贤德 (xiándé)
* 賢愚不分 / 贤愚不分
* 賢慧 / 贤慧 (xiánhuì)
* 賢才 / 贤才 (xiáncái)
* 賢明 / 贤明 (xiánmíng)
* 賢昆仲 / 贤昆仲
* 賢昆玉 / 贤昆玉
* 賢淑 / 贤淑 (xiánshū)
* 賢相 / 贤相
* 賢者 / 贤者 (xiánzhě)
* 賢能 / 贤能 (xiánnéng)
* 賢臣 / 贤臣 (xiánchén)
* 賢良 / 贤良
* 賢良方正 / 贤良方正
* 賢賢易色 / 贤贤易色
* 賢路 / 贤路
* 賢達 / 贤达 (xiándá)
* 賢郎 / 贤郎
* 賢阮 / 贤阮
* 輕賢慢士 / 轻贤慢士
* 進賢 / 进贤
* 進賢任能 / 进贤任能
* 進賢冠 / 进贤冠
* 選賢任能 / 选贤任能
* 選賢與能 / 选贤与能
* 避賢 / 避贤
* 避賢謝拙 / 避贤谢拙
* 鄉賢 / 乡贤 (xiāngxián)
* 酒喻聖賢 / 酒喻圣贤
* 野無遺賢 / 野无遗贤
* 集賢殿 / 集贤殿
* 養賢納士 / 养贤纳士
* 高賢 / 高贤

#### Descendants

* → Vietnamese: hiền (賢)

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation

* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): gâu
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gâu
*** Tâi-lô: gâu
*** Phofsit Daibuun: gaau
*** IPA (Xiamen): /ɡau²⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡau²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡau¹³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /ɡau²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡau²³/

#### Definitions

賢
* (Hokkien, historical) Alternative form of 𠢕

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* intelligence
* clever
* quick-witted
* sagacious

#### Readings

* Go-on: げん (gen)
* Kan-on: けん (ken, Jōyō)
* Kun: かしこい (kashikoi, 賢い, Jōyō)、さかしい (sakashii, 賢しい)、まさる (masaru, 賢る)

### Proper noun

賢(さとる) or 賢(まさる) or 賢(けん) • (Satoru or Masaru or Ken)
* a male given name

## Korean
### Hanja

賢 (eum 현 (hyeon))
* virtuous

#### Compounds

* 현자 (賢者, hyeonja, “a wise man, sage”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

賢: Hán Nôm readings: hiền, hèn
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### Derived terms

* 賢厚 (hiền hậu)
* 賢和 (hiền hòa/hiền hoà)
* 賢哲 (hiền triết)
* 賢士 (hiền sĩ)