憲

See also: 宪

憲	U+61B2, 憲 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-61B2

← 憱
[U+61B1]

CJK Unified Ideographs

憳 →
[U+61B3]

憲	U+2F8AC, 憲 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8AC

← 憎
[U+2F8AB]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement

憤 →
[U+2F8AD]

Translingual

Han character

憲 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+12, 16 strokes, cangjie input 十手一心 (JQMP), four-corner 3033₆, composition ⿱𡩜心)

Derived characters

幰㦥攇櫶瀗䘆䜢䧮藼𢖘𪺅𪼭𨏥(𨐊) 𨯶𩍹𧾨𤼂𡾢𮨥

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 404, character 11
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11269
Dae Jaweon: page 744, character 17
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2351, character 9
Unihan data for U+61B2

Unihan data for U+2F8AC

Chinese

trad.		憲
simp.		宪
alternative forms		𢞩𡩜

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (害) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
轄	kʰaːds, ɡraːd
害	*ɡaːds
犗	*kraːds
幰	*qʰanʔ
攇	*qʰanʔ
憲	*hŋans
瀗	*qʰans
割	*kaːd
磍	kreːd, kʰraːd
瞎	*qʰraːd
鎋	*ɡraːd
鶷	*ɡraːd
縖	*ɡraːd
豁	*qʰʷaːd

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *hŋans) and ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 𡩜 (“a form of punishment involving tattooing the eyes”). The character conveys the meaning of "law" or "rule."^[1]

References

^ Digital Shinjigen 2017

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): xiàn (xian⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xian⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): hin³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): hen¹
Gan (Wiktionary): xien³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): hién / hián

(Hailu, HRS): hien^ˊ

(Meixian, Guangdong): hian³
Jin (Wiktionary): xie³
Northern Min (KCR): hṳ̿ing
Eastern Min (BUC): hióng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hoeng⁴ / hyoeng⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): hiàn

(Teochew, Peng'im): hiang³

(Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): hieng³
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵shi
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): xienn⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: siàn
  - Wade–Giles: hsien⁴
  - Yale: syàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiann
  - Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: xian⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xian
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: hin³
  - Yale: hin
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hin³
  - Guangdong Romanization: hin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiːn³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: hen¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hen³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: xien³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn²¹³/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hién
  - Hakka Romanization System: hien^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: hian³
  - Sinological IPA: /hi̯en³¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hián
  - Hakka Romanization System: hian^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: hian³
  - Sinological IPA: /hi̯an³¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: hien^ˊ
  - Sinological IPA: /hien²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: hian³
  - Sinological IPA: /hian³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: xie³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie⁴⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hṳ̿ing
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xyiŋ³³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: hióng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hyɔŋ²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: hoeng⁴
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: he̤̍ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hœŋ⁴²/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: hyoeng⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hyøŋ⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiàn
  - Tâi-lô: hiàn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hiexn
  - IPA (Xiamen): /hiɛn²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /hiɛn⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɛn²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /hiɛn¹¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /hiɛn²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: hiang³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hiàng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiaŋ²¹³/
- (Leizhou)
  - Leizhou Pinyin: hieng³
  - Sinological IPA: /hieŋ²¹/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵shi
  - MiniDict: shi^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²xi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: xienn⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ẽ⁴⁵/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 憲
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕian⁵¹/
	Harbin	/ɕian⁵³/
	Tianjin	/ɕian⁵³/
	Jinan	/ɕiã²¹/
	Qingdao	/ɕiã⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/ɕian³¹²/
	Xi'an	/ɕiã⁴⁴/
	Xining	/ɕiã²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/ɕian¹³/
	Lanzhou	/ɕiɛ̃n¹³/
	Ürümqi	/ɕian²¹³/
	Wuhan	/ɕiɛn³⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕian¹³/
	Guiyang	/ɕian²¹³/
	Kunming	/ɕiɛ̃²¹²/
	Nanjing	/ɕien⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/ɕiĩ⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕie⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/ɕie̞³⁵/
	Hohhot	/ɕie⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi³⁵/
	Suzhou	/ɕiɪ⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ɕiẽ̞⁴⁴⁵/
	Wenzhou	/ɕi⁴²/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕie³²⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/ɕiɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ɕiẽ⁵⁵/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/ɕiẽ⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕiɛn²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/hian³¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/hien³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/hin³³/
	Nanning	/hin³³/
	Hong Kong	/hin³³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/hian²¹/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/hyɔŋ²¹²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/xuiŋ³³/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/hiaŋ²¹³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/hin³⁵/

Middle Chinese: xjonH

Rime
Character	憲
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	元 (65)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	許建切
Baxter	xjonH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/hɨɐn^H/
Pan Wuyun	/hiɐn^H/
Shao Rongfen	/xiɐn^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/hɨan^H/
Li Rong	/xiɐn^H/
Wang Li	/xĭɐn^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/xɨ̯ɐn^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hin³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*qʰar/

(Zhengzhang): /*hŋans/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	憲
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiàn
Middle Chinese	‹ xjon^H ›
Old Chinese	/qʰar/ (~ qʰar-s)
English	law; model; rule
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	憲
Reading #	1/1
No.	4849
Phonetic component	害
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	獻
Old Chinese	/*hŋans/

Definitions

憲

(literary) law; statute
short for 憲法／宪法 (xiànfǎ, “constitution”)
(archaic) example; model
(archaic) to promulgate; to publish
(archaic) to follow an example; to emulate

Compounds

三權憲法 / 三权宪法
五五憲草 / 五五宪草
五權憲法 / 五权宪法
修憲 / 修宪 (xiūxiàn)
刊憲 / 刊宪 (kānxiàn)
刑憲 / 刑宪
制憲 / 制宪 (zhìxiàn)
制憲權 / 制宪权
剛性憲法 / 刚性宪法
原憲貧 / 原宪贫
合憲 / 合宪 (héxiàn)
君主立憲 / 君主立宪
國憲 / 国宪 (guóxiàn)
大憲章 / 大宪章 (Dà Xiànzhāng)
天憲 / 天宪
威瑪憲法 / 威玛宪法
官憲 / 官宪
布憲 / 布宪
彝憲 (yíxiàn)
恪守成憲 / 恪守成宪
憲令 / 宪令
憲兵 / 宪兵 (xiànbīng)
憲兵隊 / 宪兵队 (xiànbīngduì)
憲典 / 宪典
憲則 / 宪则
憲司 / 宪司
憲報 / 宪报 (Xiànbào)
憲憲 / 宪宪
憲政 / 宪政 (xiànzhèng)
憲政時期 / 宪政时期
憲書 / 宪书
憲法 / 宪法 (xiànfǎ)
憲牌 / 宪牌
憲節 / 宪节
憲網 / 宪网
憲綱 / 宪纲
憲罰 / 宪罚
憲臺 / 宪台
憲章 / 宪章 (xiànzhāng)
成文憲法 / 成文宪法
時憲書 / 时宪书 (shíxiànshū)
朝憲 / 朝宪
柔性憲法 / 柔性宪法
洪憲 / 洪宪 (Hóngxiàn)
洪憲帝制 / 洪宪帝制
火憲 / 火宪
禮憲 / 礼宪
程序修憲 / 程序修宪
立憲 / 立宪 (lìxiàn)
立憲政體 / 立宪政体
立憲運動 / 立宪运动
聯邦憲法 / 联邦宪法
行憲 / 行宪 (xíngxiàn)
違憲 / 违宪 (wéixiàn)
釋憲 / 释宪 (shìxiàn)
靈憲 / 灵宪
風憲 / 风宪
體憲 / 体宪

References

“憲”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
(Taiwanese Hokkien) “憲”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
(Taiwanese Hakka) “Entry #9659”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Chinese and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.

Japanese

Shinjitai	憲
Kyūjitai ^[1]	憲 `憲` or 憲+`︀`^?
	憲󠄁 憲+`󠄁`^? (Adobe-Japan1)
	憲󠄆 憲+`󠄆`^? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
	憲󠄂 憲+`󠄂`^? (Adobe-Japan1)
	憲󠄅 憲+`󠄅`^? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

憲

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 憲)

constitution; basic law

Readings

Go-on: こん (kon)
Kan-on: けん (ken, Jōyō)
Kun: おきて (okite, 憲)、のり (nori, 憲)
Nanori: あきら (akira)、かず (kazu)、さだ (sada)、ただし (tadashi)、ただす (tadasu)、とし (toshi)、のり (nori)

Compounds

違(い)憲(けん) (iken)
改(かい)憲(けん) (kaiken)
家(か)憲(けん) (kaken)
官(かん)憲(けん) (kanken)
憲(けん)法(ぽう) (kenpō)
憲(けん)兵(ぺい) (kenpei)
国(こっ)憲(けん) (kokken)
合(ごう)憲(けん) (gōken)
護(ご)憲(けん) (goken)
朝(ちょう)憲(けん) (chōken)
立(りっ)憲(けん) (rikken)

References

^ Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 901 (paper), page 500 (digital)

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [hʌ̹n]
Phonetic hangul: [헌]

Hanja

Wikisource

憲 (eumhun 법 헌 (beop heon))

hanja form^? of 법 (“law”)

Vietnamese

Han character

憲: Hán Nôm readings: hiến

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[1] Digital Shinjigen 2017

[2] Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 901 (paper), page 500 (digital)

[1]

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