| 贤 | xián | worthy or virtuous person; honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation |
| 圣贤 | shèng xián | a sage; wise and holy man; virtuous ruler; Buddhist lama; wine |
| 贤人 | xián rén | great person of the past; venerable forebear; the great and the good |
| 贤能 | xián néng | sage |
| 魏忠贤 | Wèi Zhōng xián | Wei Zhongxian (1568-1627), infamous eunuch politician of late Ming |
| 集贤 | Jí xián | Jixian county in Shuangyashan 双鸭山, Heilongjiang |
| 贤惠 | xián huì | chaste; virtuous |
| 任人唯贤 | rèn rén wéi xián | to appoint people according to their merits (idiom); appointment on the basis of ability and integrity |
| 任贤使能 | rèn xián shǐ néng | to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom); appointment on the basis of ability and integrity |
| 先贤 | xiān xián | worthy predecessor; distinguished person of the past; former sage |
| 奉贤 | Fèng xián | Fengxian suburban district of Shanghai |
| 奉贤区 | Fèng xián qū | Fengxian suburban district of Shanghai |
| 妒能害贤 | dù néng hài xián | jealous of the able, envious of the clever (idiom) |
| 妒贤忌能 | dù xián jì néng | to envy the virtuous and talented (idiom) |
| 尊贤使能 | zūn xián shǐ néng | to respect talent and make use of ability (Mencius) |
| 尊贤爱物 | zūn xián ài wù | to honor the wise and love the people; respecting noble talent while protecting the common people |
| 招贤纳士 | zhāo xián nà shì | invite the talented and call the valorous (idiom); to recruit talent |
| 推贤让能 | tuī xián ràng néng | to cede to the virtuous and yield to the talented (idiom) |
| 敬老尊贤 | jìng lǎo zūn xián | to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom); to honor the great and the good |
| 敬贤礼士 | jìng xián lǐ shì | to respect ability and honor scholarship (idiom) |
| 普贤 | Pǔ xián | Samantabhadra, the Buddhist Lord of Truth |
| 普贤菩萨 | Pǔ xián Pú sà | Samantabhadra, the Buddhist Lord of Truth |
| 李修贤 | Lǐ Xiū xián | Danny Lee Sau-Yin (1953-), Hong Kong actor and director |
| 王祖贤 | wáng zǔ xián | Joey Wong (actress) |
| 礼贤下士 | lǐ xián xià shì | respect for the wise |
| 圣经贤传 | shèng jīng xián zhuàn | lit. holy scripture and biography of sage (idiom); refers to Confucian canonical texts |
| 圣贤书 | shèng xián shū | holy book |
| 举贤良对策 | jǔ xián liáng duì cè | Treatise 134 BC by Han dynasty philosopher Dong Zhongshu 董仲舒 |
| 见贤思齐 | jiàn xián sī qí | see a worthy, think to imitate (idiom, from Analects); emulate the virtuous; Follow the example of a virtuous and wise teacher. |
| 识才尊贤 | shí cái zūn xián | to recognize talent and have great respect for it |
| 让贤与能 | ràng xián yǔ néng | to step aside and give a more worthy person a chance (idiom) |
| 贤内助 | xián nèi zhù | (said of sb else's wife) a good wife |
| 贤劳 | xián láo | diligent |
| 贤妻良母 | xián qī liáng mǔ | a good wife and loving mother |
| 贤弟 | xián dì | worthy little brother |
| 贤才 | xián cái | a genius; a talented person |
| 贤明 | xián míng | wise and capable; sagacious |
| 贤淑 | xián shū | (of a woman) virtuous |
| 贤淑仁慈 | xián shū rén cí | a virtuous and benevolent woman (idiom) |
| 贤王 | xián wáng | sage kings |
| 贤良 | xián liáng | (of a man) able and virtuous |
| 贤达 | xián dá | prominent and worthy personage |
| 进贤 | Jìn xián | Jinxian county in Nanchang 南昌, Jiangxi |
| 进贤县 | Jìn xián xiàn | Jinxian county in Nanchang 南昌, Jiangxi |
| 集贤县 | Jí xián xiàn | Jixian county in Shuangyashan 双鸭山, Heilongjiang |
