Traditional: 鹹
xián HSK 4

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

这个汤太咸了。
Zhè gè tāng tài xián le.
This soup is too salty.
我喜欢吃咸的菜。
Wǒ xǐhuan chī xián de cài.
I like to eat salty dishes.
咸鱼很好吃。
Xián yú hěn hǎochī.
Salted fish is very delicious.
汤太咸了。
Tāng tài xián le.
The soup is too salty.
咸菜很好吃。
Xiáncài hěn hǎochī.
Pickled vegetables are delicious.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of the character 咸 - it contains 口 (mouth) on the left, reminding you it's related to taste, and 戌 on the right which sounds similar to 'salt' in some contexts. Associate it with 'salty' by imagining someone saying 'Xian-tly salty' when tasting food.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and used in both spoken and written Chinese, in formal and informal contexts. It's most common in food-related discussions, cooking instructions, or when describing flavors. For example, you might say '这汤太咸了' (This soup is too salty) in daily conversation.

📖 Grammar Points

As an adjective, 咸 typically follows adverbs like 很 (very), 太 (too), or 不 (not) to modify nouns. It can be used in the pattern 'Subject + 很/太 + 咸' (e.g., 菜很咸 - The dish is very salty) or as an attributive with 的 (e.g., 咸的食物 - salty food).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese cuisine, achieving balanced flavors is important, and 咸 is a fundamental taste. Dishes like 咸菜 (pickled vegetables) and 咸鱼 (salted fish) are traditional preserved foods. The phrase '咸鱼翻身' (salted fish turns over) is an idiom meaning an unexpected comeback from a hopeless situation.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 盐 (yán) which means 'salt' (the substance), 咸 describes the taste. Unlike 辣 (là, spicy) or 酸 (suān, sour), 咸 specifically denotes saltiness. It's one of the basic taste categories in Chinese (along with sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy).

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