咸

• Pinyin: xián
• Hanzi breakdown: 咸 = 戌 (phonetic component) + 口 (mouth) — originally meaning 'all,' evolved to mean salty

Meaning

Salty. Describes food or a taste characterised by salt.

One of the five basic tastes in Chinese cuisine (alongside 甜 sweet, 酸 sour, 苦 bitter, 辣 spicy). Commonly used to describe the flavour of food. In northern Chinese cuisine, dishes tend to be saltier than in the south. 太咸了 (too salty) is a common complaint. Can also be used metaphorically in the phrase 咸鱼 (salted fish), which colloquially refers to a lazy, unmotivated person.

Examples

1. 这道菜放了太多盐，味道太咸了。 This dish had too much salt added — the taste is too salty.
2. 北方的饮食比南方的要咸一些。 Northern Chinese food tends to be saltier than southern Chinese food.
3. 她不太喜欢咸的食物，更喜欢吃甜的。 She does not like salty food very much and prefers sweet things.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个汤有点咸，加点水吧。(This soup is a bit salty — let's add some water.)
• 我喜欢吃咸豆腐脑，不喜欢甜的。(I like salty tofu pudding, not the sweet kind.)

Don't Say

• 把咸用于描述干燥或无味的食物。(Don't confuse 咸 with 淡 (bland/light) or 干 (dry) — 咸 specifically refers to a salty taste caused by salt content.)

Origin & History

An ancient character that historically meant 'all/complete,' later narrowing to mean 'salty' — associated with the pervasive taste of salt.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal