仙

僊

xiān

亻 + 山

Definitions

xiān (noun) immortal; celestial being; transcendent

xiān (adjective) fairy-like; ethereal

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 山 represents the sound. Simplified form of 僊.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 山

About

The character 仙 combines the person radical 亻 on the left with the mountain component 山 on the right. This structure visually represents a person dwelling in the mountains, reflecting early Daoist concepts of hermits who sought spiritual power and immortality in isolated heights. An older variant, 僊, used the person radical with the phonetic component 䙴, meaning to ascend. The meaning evolved from these mountain recluses to denote supernatural beings and immortals. Today, it serves as a noun for deities or celestial figures in mythology and religion.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她像一位仙女。

Tā xiàng yī wèi xiān nǚ.

She resembles a fairy.

这盆仙人掌开花了。

Zhè pén xiān rén zhǎng kāi huā le.

This pot of cactus has bloomed.

故事里住着一位老神仙。

Gù shi lǐ zhù zhe yī wèi lǎo shén xiān.

An old deity lives in the story.

这里风景优美宛如仙境。

Zhè lǐ fēng jǐng yōu měi wǎn rú xiān jìng.

The scenery here is so beautiful it's like a fairyland.

她身上有种不食人间烟火的仙气。

Tā shēn shàng yǒu zhǒng bù shí rén jiān yān huǒ de xiān qì.

She has an ethereal, otherworldly aura about her.

许多古代传说都描述了凡人修仙的故事。

Xǔ duō gǔ dài chuán shuō dōu miáo shù le fán rén xiū xiān de gù shi.

Many ancient legends describe stories of mortals cultivating immortality.

八仙过海是中国家喻户晓的神话故事。

Bā xiān guò hǎi shì zhōng guó jiā yù hù xiǎo de shén huà gù shi.

"The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" is a well-known Chinese myth.

这座古镇依山傍水，云雾缭绕，颇有仙山楼阁的意境。

Zhè zuò gǔ zhèn yī shān bàng shuǐ, yún wù liáo rào, pō yǒu xiān shān lóu gé de yì jìng.

This ancient town, nestled between mountains and rivers with swirling mist, evokes the artistic conception of celestial mountains and pavilions.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 山

仙