Writing Balance Rule: The left side (日) is narrow and compact, while the right side is wider and vertically extended. Keep both halves balanced without letting either dominate horizontally.
Simplification Logic: Simplified from 顯. The complex traditional upper-left and top-right components were streamlined, and the lower portion (糸) was simplified to a radical stroke pattern.
1. Meaning
to make visible, to reveal, prominent, conspicuous
顯 (prefix) phanero- in scientific termsto manifest or show prestige
Verb / AdjectiveFormal / Literary (often used in compound words)Bound morpheme#visibility#perception#status
Sample Usage
显露
xiǎnlù
to reveal, to manifest
明显
míngxiǎn
clear, obvious, conspicuous
2. Sound
/[ɕi̯än²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
顯
xiǎnxian3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=xiǎn
Initial Consonant
x
Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative
Sounds like: sh sound pronounced with the tongue blade flat against the lower gum and middle tongue raised toward the hard palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tip of the tongue rests behind lower front teeth while the middle of the tongue rises toward the hard palate, creating a friction hiss.
Final Rhyme
ian
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with yen
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yen'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: The 'i' acts as a palatal glide leading into the open front vowel 'a' and nasal 'n'.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts in the middle pitch, dips down low into the basement, and rises back up, just like asking a disbelieving 'Really?' in English.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, xiǎn changes to a 2nd tone (35) due to Mandarin 3rd tone sandhi rules.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the soft palatal 'x-' with the retroflex 'sh-' or dental 's-'. Ensure you keep the tongue flat and forward near the teeth ridge for 'x'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down sharply from mid-high to low, then sweep up to high, matching the low dipping contour of Tone 3.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (日) is narrow and compact, while the right side is wider and vertically extended. Keep both halves balanced without letting either dominate horizontally.
Simplification Logic: Simplified from 顯. The complex traditional upper-left and top-right components were streamlined, and the lower portion (糸) was simplified to a radical stroke pattern.
4. Components
Radical日 · Sun Radical (sun, day, light)
Semantic Clue (形旁):日 (provides the semantic clue of light, shining, and bringing things to light)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):𠬞 (original sound: xiǎn)
The sun (日) shines brightly over silk or banners (represented by the right side components), making everything perfectly visible and clear.
日 sun / light / visibility
业 structural scaffolding on the right side
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
4· Phonetic Root: 㬎 (xiǎn)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combining the concept of light or the sun (日) with a phonetic element indicating display or extension, representing a bright banner unfurled in the sun.
Semantic Evolution: From bright sunlight making objects clear and visible to general prominence, manifestation, and revealing hidden facts.
In classical texts, it frequently denoted moral integrity shining forth visibly.
Modern usage centers around digital displays (显示器) and obviousness (明显).
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
hiển
Mandarin 3rd tone corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi tone or loaded dipping contours.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ケン (ken) / Kun: あらか.れる (arakareru), あらわ.す (arawasu)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
현
Sound Shift Bridge: Sino-Xenic readings preserve the ancient initial 'h-' or 'k-' corresponding to the Mandarin palatal 'x-'.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
When the sun (日) shines on your yard, everything hidden becomes instantly visible (显) and prominent.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
险
xiǎndangerousReplaces the sun (日) with the mound radical (阝), representing a dangerous cliff where visibility is poor.
脸
liǎnfaceReplaces the sun with the flesh/meat radical (月), representing the human face where expressions become visible.
捡
jiǎnto pick upReplaces the sun with the hand radical (扌), meaning to pick up items with your hands.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
湿(shī)
湿 has a water radical (氵) on the left meaning 'wet', whereas 显 has the sun radical (日).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
這件事情的真相非常[___]。
Clue: míng xiǎn
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the character structure with 湿 (shī) or writing the right-hand side incorrectly due to the complex historical simplification from 顯.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 显, what core concept of visibility or revelation comes to mind?
Production: How do you write the character for 'obvious' (míngxiǎn) using the sun radical?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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顯xiǎnto make visible
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