鲜 xiān / xiǎn — fresh; few; rare
市场上的蔬菜很新鲜。Shì chǎng shàng de shū cài hěn xīn xiān.The vegetables at the market are very fresh.
Common words: 新鲜 (xīn xiān)、鲜花 (xiān huā)、海鲜 (hǎi xiān)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "fresh"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "fresh", including 鲜 (xiān / xiǎn), 淡 (dàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "fresh" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 鲜 (xiān / xiǎn), 淡 (dàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiān, xiǎn, dàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 鲜 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 鲜 xiān / xiǎnfresh; few; rareUseful words: 新鲜, 鲜花
- 淡 dàninsipid; diluted; weak; light in color; tasteless; freshUseful words: 清淡, 冷淡
Common words for these 2 "fresh" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 鲜 (xiān / xiǎn) — so "fresh" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "fresh".
淡 dàn — insipid; diluted; weak; light in color; tasteless; fresh
这道汤味道有点儿淡，再加点儿盐吧。Zhè dào tāng wèi dào yǒu diǎnr dàn, zài jiā diǎnr yán ba.This soup tastes a bit bland; add some more salt.
Common words: 清淡 (qīng dàn)、冷淡 (lěng dàn)、淡水 (dàn shuǐ)
All 2 characters
Open 鲜、淡 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.