宪 (xiàn): constitution; constitutional law

Meanings

1 constitution; constitutional law
2 statute; ordinance

Characters

宪

xiàn

constitution; law; statute

Examples

HSK 7-9

宪是宪法的简称，是国家的根本大法。

Xiàn shì xiànfǎ de jiǎnchēng, shì guójiā de gēnběn dàfǎ.

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

HSK 7-9

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 (constitution), 违宪 (unconstitutional), 宪政 (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

Bottom 先 supplies the sound - close to 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 heart-plus-eye of the traditional 憲. Modern 宪 mostly appears in 宪法 (constitution) and 宪兵 (military police).