- 贤惠 xiánhuì virtuousvirtuous and kind, especially of a wife or woman who is dedicated to her family and traditional roles; wise and reasonable
- 圣贤 shèngxián sagea sage; a person of exceptional virtue and wisdom; often refers specifically to holy men or virtuous rulers
- 贤妻良母 xiánqīliángmǔ virtuous wife and loving motherA woman who is both a wise and dutiful wife to her husband and a kind and loving mother to her children.
- 贤弟 xiándì my dear brothera respectful term of address used for a male friend or a peer who is younger than oneself
- 魏忠贤 wèizhōngxián Wei ZhongxianWei Zhongxian (1568–1627), a powerful and infamous eunuch during the late Ming dynasty who dominated the imperial court.
- 李贤 lǐxián Li XianPersonal name of Crown Prince Zhanghuai (654-684), the second son of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty.
- 贤达 xiándá prominent personagea person of both virtue and talent who possesses a high reputation; a worthy and prominent figure
- 奉贤 fèngxián FengxianA suburban district of Shanghai
- 贤淑 xiánshū virtuousvirtuous and kind; describes a woman with fine character and a gentle disposition
- 贤良 xiánliáng able and virtuoushaving both great talent and high moral character; used to describe someone who is capable and good
- 先贤 xiānxián ancient sage(literary) a late person of great virtue or wisdom; an ancient sage
- 贤人 xiánrén worthy personA person of high moral character and great ability; a sage or virtuous person.
- 普贤 pǔxián SamantabhadraSamantabhadra; one of the four great Bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism who represents universal wisdom and practice and is often depicted riding a white elephant alongside [[文殊|文殊|wen2 shu1]]
- 王祖贤 wángzǔxián Joey WongJoey Wong (1967-), a famous Taiwanese actress
- 贤内助 xiánnèizhù helpful wifea capable and virtuous wife; often used as a respectful way to refer to someone else's wife
- 贤才 xiáncái talented persona person possessing both exceptional talent and high moral character; a paragon of virtue and ability
- 进贤 jìnxián to employ the virtuousto promote or employ virtuous and capable people
- 贤能 xiánnéng virtuous and talentedBoth virtuous and capable; possessing high moral character as well as strong abilities
- 贤明 xiánmíng wise and capablehaving both great talent and moral character while possessing a clear understanding of logic and reason; sagacious
- 任人唯贤 rènrénwéixián meritocracyto appoint people according to their ability and integrity rather than their personal connections; merit-based appointment
- 让贤 ràngxián to yield to the more worthyto step down and give up one's position to someone more talented or qualified
- 奉贤区 fèngxiánqū Fengxian DistrictA suburban district of Shanghai city; formerly Fengxian county
- 进贤县 jìnxiánxiàn Jinxian countyJinxian county in Nanchang, Jiangxi
- 求贤若渴 qiúxiánruòkě to thirst for talentto seek out people of great ability and character with the same urgency as one seeks water when thirsty
- 贤慧 xiánhuì virtuous and wise(of a woman, especially a wife) virtuous and kind; wise and perfect in her traditional roles
- 前贤 qiánxián worthies of old(literary) virtuous and talented people from previous generations; predecessors who are worthy of respect
- 贤德 xiándé virtuousvirtuous and kindhearted; having good character and morals
- 贤士 xiánshì virtuous person(literary) a man of merit and noble character; a distinguished person of high morals and talent
- 贤臣 xiánchén virtuous officiala virtuous or capable official who serves a ruler with wisdom and integrity
- 礼贤下士 lǐxiánxiàshì to treat the wise with respect(set phrase) said of a high-ranking person who behaves with humility to cultivate and recruit people of talent and virtue
- 见贤思齐 jiànxiánsīqí to emulate those better than oneselfTo see a person of virtue and wisdom and think of imitating them; to emulate the virtuous and wise. Originally from the "Analects of Confucius" in the sentence jiàn xián sī qí [[焉|焉|yan1]], [[见不贤而内自省也|見不賢而內自省也|jian4 bu4 xian2 er2 nei4 zi4 xing3 ye3]].
- 集贤 jíxián JixianJixian county in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang province
- 乡贤 xiāngxián local sageA person respected by their home community for their character and scholarship; (hist.) a local worthy who, notably during the Qing Dynasty, was posthumously honored in local temples
- 竹林七贤 zhúlínqīxián Seven Sages of the Bamboo GroveA group of seven non-conformist scholars and writers in the 3rd century who rejected the strict social rules of the court to pursue freedom and philosophy.
- 尚贤 shàngxián to value the virtuousTo respect and appoint people of talent and virtue to positions of authority; to advocate for meritocracy
- 招贤纳士 zhāoxiánnàshì to recruit talentTo invite and recruit people of high ability and virtue; to seek out talented individuals for service.
- 贤伉俪 xiánkànglì esteemed coupleA respectful way to refer to or address another person and their spouse; an esteemed or loving couple.
- 孝子贤孙 xiàozǐxiánsūn worthy descendantsdutiful and virtuous children and grandchildren who fulfill their familial obligations
- 贤哲 xiánzhé wise and virtuouspossessing both great virtue and outstanding wisdom
- 群贤毕至 qúnxiánbìzhì distinguished guests all arriveA gathering of many talented or virtuous people.
- 嫉贤妒能 jíxiándùnéng to be jealous of talentto be envious of people with greater virtue and ability than oneself
- 李修贤 lǐxiūxián Danny Lee Sau-YinDanny Lee Sau-Yin (1953-), Hong Kong actor and director
- 集贤县 jíxiánxiàn Jixian CountyJixian County in [[双鸭山|雙鴨山|shuang1 ya1 shan1]], Heilongjiang
- 时贤 shíxián sages of the era(literary) famous and talented people of the current age; great scholars or social leaders of the period
- 贤良方正 xiánliángfāngzhèng good and able menAn ancient Chinese civil service selection category for promoting men of virtue, talent, and integrity; used from the Han dynasty through the Song dynasty.
- 选贤与能 xuǎnxiányǔnéng to elect the wise and ableTo select and appoint people of good character and high ability to office; to promote the virtuous and capable.
- 妒贤嫉能 dùxiánjínéng to be jealous of talentto be jealous of people with superior virtue and ability
- 敬老尊贤 jìnglǎozūnxián to respect the elderly and the wiseto respect the aged and honor those with high character and talent; to honor the great and the good
- 龚贤 gōngxián Gong XianChinese painter (1618-1689) of the early Qing Dynasty known for his landscape paintings; leader of the Eight Masters of Nanjing.
Sources
- Frequency data
- MTSU Chinese text computingSUBTLEX-CH