献 (xiàn) · to offer; to present; to dedicate

Meanings

1 to offer; to present; to dedicate
2 to donate; to contribute

Characters

献

xiàn

to offer; to dedicate

Examples

HSK 4

我要献血。

Wǒ yào xiànxuè.

I want to donate blood.

HSK 5

他把一生献给了教育事业。

Tā bǎ yìshēng xiàngěi le jiàoyù shìyè.

He dedicated his whole life to education.

HSK 7-9

请允许我献上最诚挚的祝福。

Qǐng yǔnxǔ wǒ xiàn shàng zuì chéngzhì de zhùfú.

Please allow me to offer my most sincere blessings.

Tips

usage

献血 = donate blood, 献花 = present flowers, 贡献 = contribution. 献 often carries a sense of noble sacrifice or respectful offering.

usage

奉献 = to dedicate/devote (more formal), 文献 = literature/documents - a different usage of 献.

Components

radical

犬 quǎn

dog

Right dog radical (Kangxi #94) - a sitting dog with raised tail (the dot). Anchors the meaning: ritual offering of a sacrificial dog, an ancient ceremony where dogs were presented to ancestors. From this grim origin came the modern senses 'to offer, present, dedicate, donate.' Same radical in 狗, 猫, 狼.

semantic

南 nán

south; ritual bell (semantic remnant)

Left side - the 南 shape, originally a bronze ritual bell hung in the south. In 献 it represents the sacrificial vessel or instrument used in the ceremony. Traditional 獻 had a 鬳 here; the 1956 simplification swapped in the cleaner 南 silhouette while keeping the offering-vessel imagery.