显 (xiǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “apparent”. It is written from 日 (sun; day) and 业 (trade; occupation), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “visible; to show”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
日 + 业
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: modern-shape-decomposition (hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验: 日 4 + 业 5 = 9)
Memory aid
The sun (日) climbs above a row of tall posts (业). Once it is up there, every detail below is out in the open — that is what 显 does: it makes things visible.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 明显míng xiǎnobvious; clear; evident显 = xiǎnHSK 3
- 显示xiǎn shìto show; to display; to indicate显 = xiǎnHSK 4
- 显著xiǎn zhùnotable; remarkable; marked显 = xiǎn
Go deeper
All readings
visible; to show
apparent; obvious; to show; to display; to make visible
表现出来，让人看得见；明显。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 明显míng xiǎnobvious; clear; evident显 = xiǎnHSK 3
- 显示xiǎn shìto show; to display; to indicate显 = xiǎnHSK 4
- 显著xiǎn zhùnotable; remarkable; marked显 = xiǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 显 mean?
显 (xiǎn) means apparent; obvious; to show; to display; to make visible.
How do you pronounce 显?
It is pronounced xiǎn.
What parts is 显 made of?
日 (sun; day) and 业 (trade; occupation), one above the other. The recorded source is: modern-shape-decomposition (hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验: 日 4 + 业 5 = 9). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 显 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 显?
日. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 显?
Common ones are 明显 and 显示. The reading of 显 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.