hiền

See also: hien, hiên, hiến, hiển, Hiển, and hiện

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 賢 (“virtuous”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

hiền

  1. (archaic) virtuous
    người hiền
    virtuous people; virtuous subordinates
  2. kind; gentle; meek; docile
    Synonym: lành
    hiền như nai (tơ)
    gentle/virtuous as a fawn
    hiền như ma xơ
    as kind/virtuous as a nun (ma xơ is from French ma sœur (“sister; nun”))
    Đừng lo, thằng đó hiền lắm.
    Don't worry, he's not the violent type.
  3. (Southern Vietnam) innocuous; harmless; nutritious
  4. (Southern Vietnam, euphemistic) ingenuous
    Em hiền quá à! Vậy thì sao có bồ được?
    You're too ingenuous! How would you ever get a girlfriend?
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