咸 xián
“salted; salty; stingy”
adjectiveHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 鹹
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
咸 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1796: 咸 xián — Level 4; official annotation 4 (形). PDF page 124
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 咸
咸 describes food that tastes of salt, meaning “salty.” It is an adjective, so it often appears after 很, 太, or 有点, or before 的 plus a noun. A common pattern is 很咸 / 太咸了 / 有点咸 / 咸的菜.
例句Example sentences
- 这个汤有点咸。zhè ge tāng yǒu diǎn xián.This soup is a little salty.
- 我不喜欢太咸的菜。wǒ bù xǐ huan tài xián de cài.I don't like food that is too salty.
- 妈妈做的鱼很咸，但是很好吃。mā ma zuò de yú hěn xián, dàn shì hěn hǎo chī.The fish my mom made is very salty, but it's delicious.
义项All meanings
- Xián: surname Xian
- xián: all; everyone; each; widespread; harmonious
- xián: salted; salty; stingy; miserly