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

(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

Etymology

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

Alternative spellings
(kyūjitai) 神僊

From Middle Chinese 神仙 (MC zyin sjen).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) しんせん [shìńséń] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
IPA^(key): [ɕĩɰ̃sẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

神(しん)仙(せん) • (shinsen)

supernatural, celestial or divine being; an immortal
(music) the 11th note in the Japanese chromatic scale, close to Western C
Hypernym: 十二律 (jūniritsu)

Coordinate terms: 壱越, 断金, 平調, 勝絶, 下無, 双調, 鳧鐘, 黄鐘, 鸞鏡, 盤渉, 神仙, 上無

Derived terms

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

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
神	仙

Noun

神仙 • (sinseon) (hangeul 신선)

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

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
神	仙

Noun

神仙

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

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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