宪 (xiàn): constitution; constitutional law

Meanings

1 constitution; constitutional law
2 statute; ordinance

Characters

宪

xiàn

constitution; law; statute

Examples

宪是宪法的简称，是国家的根本大法。

Xiàn shì xiànfǎ de jiǎnchēng, shì guójiā de gēnběn dà fǎ.

'Xian' is an abbreviation for constitution, which is the fundamental law of the state.

违宪行为将受到法律制裁。

Wéixiàn xíngwéi jiāng shòudào fǎlǜ zhìcái.

Unconstitutional acts will be subject to legal sanctions.

Tips

usage

宪 appears as a root in many legal/political compounds: 宪法 (xiànfǎ, constitution), 违宪 (wéixiàn, unconstitutional), 宪政 (xiànzhèng, constitutionalism).

Components

radical

宀 mián

roof; house (radical)

Top roof radical, three strokes of a sloped cover. Anchors 宪 in the household/order family — laws are pronounced from within the official hall. The traditional 憲 had heart and eye underneath; the simplified form replaces them with 先, but the roof keeps the institutional setting.

phonetic

先 xiān

first; before (here phonetic)

Bottom 先 supplies the sound — exact xiān. Originally 先 pictured a foot stepping ahead of another person, meaning 'first.' In simplified 宪 it is pure phonetic and replaces the etymologically meaningful 心+目 of the traditional 憲. Modern 宪 mostly appears in 宪法 (constitution) and 宪兵 (military police).