謙

See also: 谦

謙 U+8B19, 謙 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8B19 ← 謘 [U+8B18] CJK Unified Ideographs 謚 → [U+8B1A]

Translingual

Han character

謙 (Kangxi radical 149, 言+10, 17 strokes, cangjie input 卜口廿難金 (YRTXC), four-corner 0863₇, composition ⿰訁兼)

Derived characters

• 𡄫

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1175, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 35821
• Dae Jaweon: page 1639, character 36
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 4009, character 2
• Unihan data for U+8B19

Chinese

trad.		謙
simp.		谦
2nd round simp.		𰵋

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 謙
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (兼) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
譧	*r'eːms
賺	*r'eːms
尲	*kreːm
鹻	*kreːmʔ
歉	*kʰreːms, *kʰreːmʔ, *kʰeːmʔ, *kʰeːms
槏	*kʰreːmʔ
鰜	*ɡreːm, *keːm
稴	*ɡreːm, *ɡ·reːm, *ɡ·reːmʔ, *ɡ·reːms, *ɡeːm
豏	*ɡreːmʔ, *ɡreːms
甉	*ɡreːmʔ, *ɡraːm
廉	*ɡ·rem
鎌	*ɡ·rem
鬑	*ɡ·rem, *ɡ·reːm
鐮	*ɡ·rem
簾	*ɡ·rem
薕	*ɡ·rem, *ɡ·reːm
蠊	*ɡ·rem
嬚	*ɡ·remʔ
溓	*ɡ·remʔ, *ɡ·reːm, *ɡ·reːmʔ
嵰	*kʰremʔ
隒	*ŋɡremʔ
熑	*ɡ·reːm
濂	*ɡ·reːm
燫	*ɡ·reːm
兼	*keːm, *keːms
縑	*keːm
鶼	*keːm
蒹	*keːm
搛	*keːm
謙	*kʰeːm
膁	*kʰeːmʔ
嗛	*kʰeːmʔ
慊	*kʰeːmʔ, *kʰeːb
傔	*kʰeːms
馦	*qʰeːm
嫌	*ɡeːm
鼸	*ɡeːmʔ
尷	*kreːm

Etymology

Cognate with 歉 (OC *kʰreːms, *kʰreːmʔ, *kʰeːmʔ, *kʰeːms, “deficient”), 廉 (OC *ɡ·rem, “upright; having integrity; uncorrupt”) (Schuessler, 2007), Tibetan ཁྲམ་པ (khram pa, “modest”) (Geilich, 1995).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): qiān (qian¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): qian¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): him¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): him¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): qien¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khiâm

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kiam¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): qie¹
• Northern Min (KCR): gíng / kíng
• Eastern Min (BUC): kiĕng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khiam

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kiam¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹chi
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): qienn¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiān
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cian
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien¹
    • Yale: chyān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chian
    • Palladius: цянь (cjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: qian¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: kian
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: him¹
    • Yale: hīm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: him¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: him¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiːm⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: him¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /him³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: qien¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiɛn⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khiâm
    • Hakka Romanization System: kiam´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kiam¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi̯am²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: kiam¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰiam⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: qie¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕʰie¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gíng / kíng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵⁴/, /kʰiŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kiĕng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰieŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiam
    • Tâi-lô: khiam
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiafm
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰiam⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiam³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰiam⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰiam⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰiam⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kiam¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khiam
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiam³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹chi
    • MiniDict: chi^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹qi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕʰi⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: qienn¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ẽ³³/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 謙
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕʰian⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕʰian⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕʰian²¹/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕʰiã²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕʰiã²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕʰian²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕʰiã²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕʰiã⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕʰian⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕʰiɛ̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕʰian⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕʰiɛn⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕʰian⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕʰian⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕʰiɛ̃⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕʰien⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕʰiĩ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕʰie¹¹/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕʰie̞¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕʰie³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡ɕʰi⁵³/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕʰiɪ⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕʰiẽ̞³³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕʰi³³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕʰie³¹/
	Tunxi	/t͡sʰiɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡ɕʰiẽ³³/
	Xiangtan	/t͡ɕʰiẽ³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡ɕʰiɛn⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/kʰiam⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/kʰiɑm²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/him⁵³/
	Nanning	/him⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/him⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kʰiam⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kʰieŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kiŋ⁵⁴/ /kʰiŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kʰiam³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/xiam²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: khem

Rime
Character	謙
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	添 (157)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	苦兼切
Baxter	khem
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰem/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰem/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɛm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɛm/
Li Rong	/kʰem/
Wang Li	/kʰiem/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰiem/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qiān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	him1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*k-r̥ˤem/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰeːm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	謙
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qiān
Middle Chinese	‹ khem ›
Old Chinese	/*k-r̥ˁem/
English	modest
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	謙
Reading #	1/1
No.	6070
Phonetic component	兼
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	謙
Old Chinese	/*kʰeːm/

Definitions

謙

1. humble; modest
2. 15th hexagram of the I Ching

Compounds

• 一謙四益／一谦四益
• 你謙我讓／你谦我让
• 和謙／和谦 (Héqiān)
• 太謙／太谦
• 平易謙沖／平易谦冲
• 恭謹謙和／恭谨谦和
• 撝謙／㧑谦
• 滿招損，謙受益／满招损，谦受益 (mǎn zhāosǔn, qiān shòuyì)
• 益謙虧盈／益谦亏盈
• 者者謙謙／者者谦谦
• 自謙／自谦 (zìqiān)
• 謙以下士／谦以下士
• 謙光／谦光
• 謙克／谦克
• 謙卑／谦卑 (qiānbēi)
• 謙卑感／谦卑感
• 謙卑自牧／谦卑自牧
• 謙厚／谦厚
• 謙受益／谦受益
• 謙和／谦和 (qiānhé)
• 謙善／谦善
• 謙恭／谦恭 (qiāngōng)
• 謙恭下士／谦恭下士
• 謙恭厚道／谦恭厚道
• 謙抑／谦抑 (qiānyì)
• 謙挹／谦挹
• 謙沖／谦冲 (qiānchōng)
• 謙沖自牧／谦冲自牧 (qiānchōngzìmù)
• 謙洽／谦洽
• 謙稱／谦称 (qiānchēng)
• 謙虛／谦虚 (qiānxū)
• 謙虛自牧／谦虚自牧
• 謙詞／谦词 (qiāncí)
• 謙誠／谦诚 (qiānchéng)
• 謙語／谦语
• 謙謝／谦谢
• 謙謙／谦谦
• 謙謙下士／谦谦下士
• 謙謙君子／谦谦君子 (qiānqiānjūnzǐ)
• 謙謹／谦谨
• 謙讓／谦让 (qiānràng)
• 謙辭／谦辞 (qiāncí)
• 謙退／谦退
• 謙遜／谦逊 (qiānxùn)
• 謙遜下士／谦逊下士
• 進履之謙／进履之谦
• 過謙／过谦 (guòqiān)

 

Japanese

Shinjitai	謙
Kyūjitai	謙󠄁 謙+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	謙󠄃 謙+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

謙

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. humble; modest (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Readings

• Go-on: けん (ken, Jōyō)^{←けむ (kemu, historical)}
• Kan-on: けん (ken, Jōyō)^{←けむ (kemu, historical)}
• Kun: へりくだる (herikudaru, 謙る)

Korean

Hanja

謙 (eumhun 사양할 겸 (sayanghal gyeom))

1. Hanja form^? of 겸 (“refuse, decline”).
2. Hanja form^? of 겸 (“humble, modest”).

Vietnamese

Han character

謙: Hán Việt readings: khiêm
謙: Nôm readings: khem, khiêm, khom, khòm, khọm

1. chữ Hán form of khiêm (“humble, self-effacing”).
2. Nôm form of khem (“to put on a diet”). See kiêng khem.
3. Nôm form of khom (“to make a bow, to bend (one's body), to walk with a stoop”). See lom khom.
4. Nôm form of khòm (“to make a bow, to bend (one's body), to walk with a stoop”).
5. Nôm form of khọm (“very old”). See già khọm.

Compounds

Compounds

• 謙恭 (khiêm cung)
• 謙讓 (khiêm nhường)
• 謙遜 (khiêm tốn)