贤 (xián) is a Chinese character meaning “worthy”. It is written from 臤 (firm; hard — a hand (又) holding fast) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “worthy; virtuous and able”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
臤 + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字 貝部：賢，多才也。从貝臤聲。现代简化字形按 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：前四笔为简化的「臤」（臣缩写成两竖 + 又），后四笔为「贝」
Memory aid
臤 on top is a hand (又) taking a firm grip; 贝 underneath is the cowrie shell that stood for wealth. Someone whose grip on things is worth real money — a person of ability and worth.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 贤人xián réna person of virtue and talent; a sage贤 = xián
- 贤惠xián huì(of a woman) virtuous and capable; kind and understanding贤 = xián
- 贤淑xián shū(of a woman) virtuous and gentle贤 = xián
Go deeper
All readings
worthy; virtuous and able
worthy; virtuous and capable; a person of virtue and talent
有德行、有才能的；也指这样的人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贤人xián réna person of virtue and talent; a sage贤 = xián
- 贤惠xián huì(of a woman) virtuous and capable; kind and understanding贤 = xián
- 贤淑xián shū(of a woman) virtuous and gentle贤 = xián
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贤 mean?
贤 (xián) means worthy; virtuous and capable; a person of virtue and talent.
How do you pronounce 贤?
It is pronounced xián.
What parts is 贤 made of?
臤 (firm; hard — a hand (又) holding fast) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字 貝部：賢，多才也。从貝臤聲。现代简化字形按 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：前四笔为简化的「臤」（臣缩写成两竖 + 又），后四笔为「贝」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贤 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贤?
贝. 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 贤?
Common ones are 贤人 and 贤惠. The reading of 贤 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.