神仙

• Pinyin: shén xiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 神 = 礻+ 申 (divine spirit); 仙 = 亻+ 山 (immortal living on mountains)

Meaning

Immortal; deity; celestial being from Chinese mythology; figuratively, a person of extraordinary skill or enviable ease.

Rooted in Taoist cosmology, 神仙 refers to immortal beings who have transcended mortal limitations. In everyday modern speech it is used figuratively to describe someone with exceptional ability, or to describe an ideal and carefree life envied by others.

Examples

1. 民间故事里，神仙往往能腾云驾雾，自由往来于天地之间。 In folk tales, immortals can ride the clouds and travel freely between heaven and earth.
2. 他的厨艺精湛得让人觉得他简直是下凡的神仙。 His cooking is so incredible that you’d think he’s a deity come down to earth.
3. 两位老人退休后过着神仙般的日子，无忧无虑，令人羡慕不已。 After retiring, the two elders live a carefree, almost heavenly life—completely worry-free and deeply enviable.

Usage Guide

Context: mythology, literature, colloquial praise

Tone: light

Do Say

• 这位设计师的作品灵动飘逸，网友纷纷称他是神仙般的存在。(This designer's work is ethereal and fluid — fans online call him a god-like presence.)
• 退休的老教授每天在山间散步，过着神仙一样悠然自得的生活。(The retired professor strolls in the mountains every day, living a carefree, immortal-like life.)

Don't Say

• 神仙 in official religious or theological writing without clarification — in those contexts specify 道教神仙 (Taoist immortals) to avoid ambiguity

Origin & History

神 (spirit, divine) + 仙 (immortal)

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal