憲

See also: 宪

憲 U+61B2, 憲 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-61B2 ← 憱 [U+61B1] CJK Unified Ideographs 憳 → [U+61B3]

憲 U+2F8AC, 憲 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8AC ← 憎 [U+2F8AB] CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 憤 → [U+2F8AD]

Translingual

Han character

憲 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+12, 16 strokes, cangjie input 十手一心 (JQMP), four-corner 3033₆, composition ⿱𡩜心)

Derived characters

• 幰 㦥 攇 櫶 瀗 䘆 䜢 䧮 藼 𢖘 𪺅 𪼭 𨏥(𨐊) 𨯶 𩍹 𧾨 𤼂 𡾢 𮨥

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 404, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11269
• Dae Jaweon: page 744, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2351, character 9
• Unihan data for U+61B2
• Unihan data for U+2F8AC

Chinese

trad.		憲
simp.		宪
alternative forms		𢞩 𡩜

Glyph origin

	Old Chinese
轄	*kʰaːds, *ɡraːd
害	*ɡaːds
犗	*kraːds
幰	*qʰanʔ
攇	*qʰanʔ
憲	*hŋans
瀗	*qʰans
割	*kaːd
磍	*kreːd, *kʰraːd
瞎	*qʰraːd
鎋	*ɡraːd
鶷	*ɡraːd
縖	*ɡraːd
豁	*qʰʷaːd

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

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *hŋans) and ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 𡩜 (, “a form of punishment involving tattooing the eyes”). The character conveys the meaning of "law" or "rule."^[1]

References

1. Digital Shinjigen 2017

Pronunciation

Variety	Location	edit 憲
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕian⁵¹/
	Harbin	/ɕian⁵³/
	Tianjin	/ɕian⁵³/
	Jinan	/ɕiã²¹/
	Qingdao	/ɕiã⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/ɕian³¹²/
	Xi'an	/ɕiã⁴⁴/
	Xining	/ɕiã²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/ɕian¹³/
	Lanzhou	/ɕiɛ̃n¹³/
	Ürümqi	/ɕian²¹³/
	Wuhan	/ɕiɛn³⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕian¹³/
	Guiyang	/ɕian²¹³/
	Kunming	/ɕiɛ̃²¹²/
	Nanjing	/ɕien⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/ɕiĩ⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕie⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/ɕie̞³⁵/
	Hohhot	/ɕie⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi³⁵/
	Suzhou	/ɕiɪ⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/ɕiẽ̞⁴⁴⁵/
	Wenzhou	/ɕi⁴²/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕie³²⁴/
	Tunxi	/ɕiɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ɕiẽ⁵⁵/
	Xiangtan	/ɕiẽ⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕiɛn²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/hian³¹/
	Taoyuan	/hien³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/hin³³/
	Nanning	/hin³³/
	Hong Kong	/hin³³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/hian²¹/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/hyɔŋ²¹²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/xuiŋ³³/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/hiaŋ²¹³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/hin³⁵/

Rime
Character	憲
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	元 (65)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	許建切
Baxter	xjonH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/hɨɐnH/
Pan Wuyun	/hiɐnH/
Shao Rongfen	/xiɐnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/hɨanH/
Li Rong	/xiɐnH/
Wang Li	/xĭɐnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/xɨ̯ɐnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hin3

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	憲
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiàn
Middle Chinese	‹ xjonH ›
Old Chinese	/*qʰar/ (~ *qʰar-s)
English	law; model; rule
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	憲
Reading #	1/1
No.	4849
Phonetic component	害
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	獻
Old Chinese	/*hŋans/

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): xiàn (xian⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xian⁴

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): hin³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): hen¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): xien³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): hién / hián

  (Hailu, HRS): hien^ˊ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): hian³

• Jin (Wiktionary): xie³
• Northern Min (KCR): hṳ̿ing
• Eastern Min (BUC): hióng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hoeng⁴ / hyeng⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hiàn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hiang³

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): hieng³

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵shi
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): xienn⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siàn
    • Wade–Giles: hsien⁴
    • Yale: syàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiann
    • Palladius: сянь (sjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: xian⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xian
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn²¹³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: hin³
    • Yale: hin
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hin³
    • Guangdong Romanization: hin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiːn³³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: hen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hen³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: xien³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hién
    • Hakka Romanization System: hien^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hian³
    • Sinological IPA: /hi̯en³¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hián
    • Hakka Romanization System: hian^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hian³
    • Sinological IPA: /hi̯an³¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: hien^ˊ
    • Sinological IPA: /hien²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: hian³
    • Sinological IPA: /hian³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: xie³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hṳ̿ing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xyiŋ³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: hióng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hyɔŋ²¹³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: hoeng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hœŋ⁴²/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: hyeng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hyøŋ⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiàn
    • Tâi-lô: hiàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hiexn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hiɛn²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hiɛn⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɛn²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /hiɛn¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hiɛn²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hiang³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hiàng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiaŋ²¹³/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: hieng³
    • Sinological IPA: /hieŋ²¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵shi
    • MiniDict: shi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²xi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: xienn⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ẽ⁴⁵/

---

• Dialectal data

---

• Middle Chinese: xjonH

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*qʰar/

  (Zhengzhang): /*hŋans/

Definitions

憲

1. (literary) law; statute
2. Short for 憲法／宪法 (xiànfǎ, “constitution”).
3. (archaic) example; model
4. (archaic) to promulgate; to publish
5. (archaic) to follow an example; to emulate

Compounds

• 三權憲法 / 三权宪法
• 五五憲草 / 五五宪草
• 五權憲法 / 五权宪法
• 修憲 / 修宪 (xiūxiàn)
• 刊憲 / 刊宪 (kānxiàn)
• 刑憲 / 刑宪
• 制憲 / 制宪 (zhìxiàn)
• 制憲權 / 制宪权
• 剛性憲法 / 刚性宪法
• 原憲貧 / 原宪贫
• 合憲 / 合宪 (héxiàn)
• 君主立憲 / 君主立宪
• 國憲 / 国宪 (guóxiàn)
• 大憲章 / 大宪章 (Dà Xiànzhāng)
• 天憲 / 天宪
• 威瑪憲法 / 威玛宪法
• 官憲 / 官宪
• 布憲 / 布宪
• 彝憲 (yíxiàn)
• 恪守成憲 / 恪守成宪
• 憲令 / 宪令
• 憲兵 / 宪兵 (xiànbīng)
• 憲兵隊 / 宪兵队 (xiànbīngduì)
• 憲典 / 宪典
• 憲則 / 宪则
• 憲司 / 宪司
• 憲報 / 宪报 (Xiànbào)
• 憲憲 / 宪宪
• 憲政 / 宪政 (xiànzhèng)
• 憲政時期 / 宪政时期
• 憲書 / 宪书
• 憲法 / 宪法 (xiànfǎ)
• 憲牌 / 宪牌
• 憲節 / 宪节
• 憲網 / 宪网
• 憲綱 / 宪纲
• 憲罰 / 宪罚
• 憲臺 / 宪台
• 憲章 / 宪章 (xiànzhāng)
• 成文憲法 / 成文宪法
• 時憲書 / 时宪书 (shíxiànshū)
• 朝憲 / 朝宪
• 柔性憲法 / 柔性宪法
• 洪憲 / 洪宪 (Hóngxiàn)
• 洪憲帝制 / 洪宪帝制
• 火憲 / 火宪
• 禮憲 / 礼宪
• 程序修憲 / 程序修宪
• 立憲 / 立宪 (lìxiàn)
• 立憲政體 / 立宪政体
• 立憲運動 / 立宪运动
• 聯邦憲法 / 联邦宪法
• 行憲 / 行宪 (xíngxiàn)
• 違憲 / 违宪 (wéixiàn)
• 釋憲 / 释宪 (shìxiàn)
• 靈憲 / 灵宪
• 風憲 / 风宪
• 體憲 / 体宪

References

• “憲”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• (Taiwanese Hokkien) “Entry #11672”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• (Taiwanese Hakka) “Entry #9659”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Chinese and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.

Japanese

Shinjitai	憲
Kyūjitai [1]	憲 憲 or 憲+︀?
	憲󠄁 憲+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	憲󠄆 憲+󠄆? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
	憲󠄂 憲+󠄂? (Adobe-Japan1)
	憲󠄅 憲+󠄅? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 憲

憲

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 憲)

1. constitution; basic law

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon)
• Kan-on: けん (ken, Jōyō)
• Kun: おきて (okite, 憲)、のり (nori, 憲)
• Nanori: あきら (akira)、かず (kazu)、さだ (sada)、ただし (tadashi)、ただす (tadasu)、とし (toshi)、のり (nori)

Compounds

• 違(い)憲(けん) (iken)
• 改(かい)憲(けん) (kaiken)
• 家(か)憲(けん) (kaken)
• 官(かん)憲(けん) (kanken)
• 憲(けん)法(ぽう) (kenpō)
• 憲(けん)兵(ぺい) (kenpei)
• 国(こっ)憲(けん) (kokken)
• 合(ごう)憲(けん) (gōken)
• 護(ご)憲(けん) (goken)
• 朝(ちょう)憲(けん) (chōken)
• 立(りっ)憲(けん) (rikken)

References

1. Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 901 (paper), page 500 (digital)

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [hʌ̹n]
• Phonetic hangul: [헌]

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

憲

Wikisource 憲 (eumhun 법 헌 (beop heon))

1. hanja form^? of 법 (“law”)

Vietnamese

Han character

憲: Hán Nôm readings: hiến

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.