xiǎn

make visible, clear

Phonosemantic compound. represents the sound and represents the meaning.

Components
㬎 sound,meaning component

  Sound Meaning component

xiǎn

  

visible, bright

頁 meaning component

  Meaning component

xié

  

(head), page

Depicts a person whose head is emphasized.

Evolution

顯 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
顯 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
顯 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
顯 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

xiǎn

manifest, display; evident, clear; to make visible; to reveal; prominent; conspicuous; (prefix) phanero-

Most common words with 顯
Freq.
Word
Meaning

明显

clear

显示

to show

显然

clear

显得

to seem

to reveal