贤惠

賢惠
xiánhuì
adjective #35,175

Meanings

  1. 1 virtuous and kind (of a woman/wife)
  2. 2 wise and gentle
  3. 3 well-mannered and considerate

Examples

HSK 5
Tā xiánhuì yòu nénggàn, línjū dōu hěn xǐhuān tā.
She is gentle, virtuous and capable - the neighbors all like her.
HSK 7-9
Tā qǔ le yī wèi xiánhuì de qīzi.
He married a virtuous and gentle wife.

Tips

culture
贤惠 is almost exclusively applied to women, especially wives - it bundles (virtuous/wise) with (kind/considerate). The classical compound 贤妻良母 ('virtuous wife, good mother') is the cultural ideal it points to. Younger speakers sometimes use it ironically; in feminist contexts it can read as patronizing.
mistakes
Don't confuse 贤惠 (of a woman's virtue) with 贤明 (wise - used of leaders/rulers) or 实惠 (practical/economical - of goods). 贤惠 is a variant of the older 贤慧.

Stroke Order

xián
huì