神仙

Chinese

		God; unusual; mysterious God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence; lively; spiritual being	immortal
simp. and trad. (神仙)		神	仙
alternative forms		神僊／神仙

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shénxiān

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): san⁴ sin¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): sin³ lhen¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sṳ̀n-siên
• Northern Min (KCR): sěng-síng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): sîn-sian

  (Teochew, Peng'im): sêng⁵ siang¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shénxiān → shénxian (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ → ㄕㄣˊ ˙ㄒㄧㄢ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shénsiån
    • Wade–Giles: shên²-hsien⁵
    • Yale: shén-syan
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shern.shian
    • Palladius: шэньсянь (šɛnʹsjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ → /ʂən³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: san⁴ sin¹
    • Yale: sàhn sīn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: san⁴ sin¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sen⁴ xin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐn²¹ siːn⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: sin³ lhen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sin²² ɬen³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ̀n-siên
    • Hakka Romanization System: siin^ˇ xien^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: sin² xian¹
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨn¹¹ si̯en²⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sěng-síng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /seiŋ²¹ siŋ⁵⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sîn-sian
    • Tâi-lô: sîn-sian
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sinsiefn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /sin²⁴⁻²² siɛn⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sin²⁴⁻²² siɛn³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /sin¹³⁻²² siɛn⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sin²⁴⁻¹¹ siɛn⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sin²³⁻³³ siɛn⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: sêng⁵ siang¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sêng siang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /seŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ siaŋ³³/

Note: Jieyang.

---

• Middle Chinese: zyin sjen

Rime
Character	神	仙
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	船 (27)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	食鄰切	相然切
Baxter	zyin	sjen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʑiɪn/	/siᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʑin/	/siɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/ʑjen/	/sjæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʑin/	/sian/
Li Rong	/d͡ʑiĕn/	/siɛn/
Wang Li	/d͡ʑĭĕn/	/sĭɛn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/d͡ʑʰi̯ĕn/	/si̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shén	xiān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	san4	sin1

Noun

神仙

1. (Chinese mythology, Taoism) immortals; supernatural entity; celestial being; transcendent being

   神仙傳／神仙传  ―  shénxiān zhuàn  ―  Shenxian Zhuan

Synonyms

• (literary) 神物 (shénwù)

Derived terms

• 大羅神仙／大罗神仙
• 活神仙
• 神仙一把抓
• 神仙中人 (shénxiānzhōngrén)
• 神仙思想
• 神仙打架，小鬼遭殃 (shénxiān dǎjià, xiǎoguǐ zāoyāng)
• 神仙放屁——不同凡響／神仙放屁——不同凡响 (shénxiānfàngpì, bùtóngfánxiǎng)
• 神仙水 (shénxiānshuǐ)
• 神仙眷屬／神仙眷属
• 神仙魚／神仙鱼
• 要作神仙眷屬，先作柴米夫妻／要作神仙眷属，先作柴米夫妻
• 陸地神仙／陆地神仙
• 飄若神仙／飘若神仙

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (神仙):

• → Japanese: 神(しん)仙(せん) (shinsen)
• → Korean: 신선(神仙) (sinseon)
• → Vietnamese: thần tiên (神仙)

Japanese

Alternative forms

• 神僊

Etymology

Kanji in this term
神	仙
しん Grade: 3	せん Grade: S
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
神仙 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 神仙 (MC zyin sjen).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しんせん [shìńséń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɕĩɰ̃sẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

神(しん)仙(せん) • (shinsen) 

1. supernatural, celestial or divine being; an immortal

Derived terms

• 神(しん)仙(せん)思(し)想(そう) (shinsenshisō, “ancient Chinese folk belief in the existence of mountain wizards”)

Korean

Hanja in this term
神	仙

Noun

神仙 • (sinseon) (hangeul 신선)

1. hanja form^? of 신선 (“celestial or divine being; an immortal”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
神	仙

Noun

神仙

1. chữ Hán form of thần tiên (“immortals, celestial beings or heavenly beings, divine immortals”).