咸

• 拼音: xián
• 汉字拆解: 咸 = 戌 (phonetic component) + 口 (mouth) — originally meaning 'all,' evolved to mean salty

含义

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.

例句

1. 这道菜放了太多盐，味道太咸了。
2. 北方的饮食比南方的要咸一些。
3. 她不太喜欢咸的食物，更喜欢吃甜的。

用法指南

语境: food, everyday

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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.)

起源与历史

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

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal