Usage of the character 仙

a form of automatic writing in which two or more participants hold a single pen over a sheet of paper and invite a spirit to write answers to their questions
a spirit so invited

diéxiān

碟仙

[碟仙]

form of divination similar to the Ouija board, in which participants use their forefingers to push a small saucer over a sheet of paper inscribed with numerous Chinese characters

shénxiān

神仙

[神仙]

Daoist immortal
supernatural entity
(in modern fiction) fairy, elf, leprechaun etc
fig. lighthearted person

zhéxiān

谪仙

[謫仙]

a genius (literally, an immortal who has been banished from heaven to live on earth), an epithet for exceptional individuals such as the Tang poet Li Bai 李白 ( Lǐ Bái)
(fig.) banished official

Xiāntáo

仙桃

[仙桃]

Xiantao sub-prefecture level city in Hubei

xiānnü

仙女

[仙女]

fairy

Xiāntái

仙台

[仙臺]

Sendai, capital of Miyagi prefecture 宮城縣／宫城县 ( Gōngchéngxiàn) in northeast Japan

bāxiānzhuō

八仙桌

[八仙桌]

old-fashioned square table to seat eight people

Yóuxiānqū

游仙区

[游仙區]

Youxian district of Mianyang city 綿陽市／绵阳市 ( Miányángshì), north Sichuan

Wǔxiānzuò

武仙座

[武仙座]

Hercules (constellation)

Xiānwángzuò

仙王座

[仙王座]

Cepheus (constellation)

Gāo Xiānzhī

高仙芝

[高仙芝]

Gao Xianzhi or Go Seonji (c. 702-756), Tang dynasty general of Goguryeo 高句麗／高句丽 ( Gāogōulí) extraction, active in Central Asia

Xiānhòuzuò

仙后座

[仙后座]

Cassiopeia (constellation)

huángdàxiān

黄大仙

[黃大仙]

Wong Tai Sin district of Kowloon, Hong Kong

āxiānyào

阿仙药

[阿仙藥]

gambier extract (from Uncaria gambir), used in TCM

qíxiāntái

祈仙台

[祈仙台]

memorial altar
platform for praying to immortals

qiūshuǐxiān

秋水仙

[秋水仙]

autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
meadow saffron

xiānnübàng

仙女棒

[仙女棒]

sparkler (hand-held firework)

xiānrénqiú

仙人球

[仙人球]

ball cactus

dàxiānwēng

大仙鹟

[大仙鶲]

(bird species of China) large niltava (Niltava grandis)

xiānréntiào

仙人跳

[仙人跳]

confidence trick in which a man is lured by an attractive woman

Bāxiān Hú

八仙湖

[八仙湖]

see 草海 ( Cǎohǎi)

Xiānyóu Xiàn

仙游县

[仙遊縣]

Xianyou, a county in Putian City 莆田市 ( Putián Shì), Fujian

xiānfāngr

仙方儿

[仙方兒]

erhua variant of 仙方 (xiānfāng)

xiānkèlái

仙客来

[仙客來]

cyclamen (loanword)

yīngxiānbì

英仙臂

[英仙臂]

Perseus spiral arm (of our galaxy)

Xiāntáoshì

仙桃市

[仙桃市]

Xiantao sub-prefecture level city in Hubei

Xiānjūxiàn

仙居县

[仙居縣]

Xianju county in Taizhou 台州 ( Tāizhōu), Zhejiang

Jiǎxiānxiāng

甲仙乡

[甲仙鄉]

Jiaxian or Chiahsien township in Kaohsiung county 高雄縣／高雄县 ( Gāoxióngxiàn), southwest Taiwan

Kǎxiānní

卡仙尼

[卡仙尼]

Cassini space probe

xiǎoxiānnü

小仙女

[小仙女]

girl fairy
beautiful girl or young woman
(neologism) (slang) irrational and egocentric young woman

yèshénxiān

夜神仙

[夜神仙]

night owl
late sleeper

Yīngxiānzuò

英仙座

[英仙座]

Perseus (constellation)

huóshénxiān

活神仙

[活神仙]

a god living in our midst (sb who can predict the future like a prophet or who leads a life without constraints)

fèngxiānhuā

凤仙花

[鳳仙花]

balsam
Balsaminaceae (a flower family including Impatiens balsamina)
touch-me-not
busy Lizzie

Wáng Xiānzhī

王仙芝

[王仙芝]

Wang Xianzhi, peasant leader during Huang Chao peasant uprising 黃巢起義／黄巢起义 875-884 in late Tang

Sūxiān Qū

苏仙区

[蘇仙區]

Suxian, a district of Chenzhou City 郴州市 ( Chēnzhou Shì), Hunan

xiānrénzhǎng

仙人掌

[仙人掌]

cactus

shuǐxiānhuā

水仙花

[水仙花]

daffodil
narcissus
CL:棵 (kē)

Xiānnüzuò

仙女座

[仙女座]

Andromeda (constellation)

Sūn Yìxiān

孙逸仙

[孫逸仙]

Dr Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), first president of the Republic of China and co-founder of the Kuomintang
same as 孫中山／孙中山

xiǎoxiānwēng

小仙鹟

[小仙鶲]

(bird species of China) small niltava (Niltava macgrigoriae)

qiūshuǐxiānsù

秋水仙素

[秋水仙素]

colchicine (pharmacy)

tuōtāichéngxiān

脱胎成仙

[脫胎成仙]

reborn as immortal

chúnlánxiānwēng

纯蓝仙鹟

[純藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) pale blue flycatcher (Cyornis unicolor)

zhūlánxiānwēng

侏蓝仙鹟

[侏藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) pygmy blue flycatcher (Muscicapella hodgsoni)

dànkēxiānwēng

淡颏仙鹟

[淡頦仙鶲]

(bird species of China) pale-chinned flycatcher (Cyornis poliogenys)

xiūliànchéngxiān

修炼成仙

[修煉成仙]

lit. to practice austerities to become a Daoist immortal
practice makes perfect

yùxiānyùsǐ

欲仙欲死

[慾仙慾死]

to wish one were dead (idiom)
(fig.) to be in seventh heaven

xiānbāsèdōng

仙八色鸫

[仙八色鶇]

(bird species of China) fairy pitta (Pitta nympha)

húguǐshénxiān

狐鬼神仙

[狐鬼神仙]

foxes, ghosts and immortals
supernatural beings, usually fictional

xiānzīyùsè

仙姿玉色

[仙姿玉色]

heavenly beauty, jewel colors (idiom); unusually beautiful lady

lābāshuǐxiān

喇叭水仙

[喇叭水仙]

daffodil

xiānrénzhǎngguǒ

仙人掌果

[仙人掌果]

prickly pear

zōngfùxiānwēng

棕腹仙鹟

[棕腹仙鶲]

(bird species of China) rufous-bellied niltava (Niltava sundara)

péngláixiānjìng

蓬莱仙境

[蓬萊仙境]

Penglai, island of immortals
fairyland

xiānshānqiónggé

仙山琼阁

[仙山瓊閣]

jeweled palace in the fairy mountain

jiàhèchéngxiān

驾鹤成仙

[駕鶴成仙]

to fly on a crane and become immortal

Xiānnüxīngzuò

仙女星座

[仙女星座]

Andromeda constellation (galaxy) M31

lánhóuxiānwēng

蓝喉仙鹟

[藍喉仙鶲]

(bird species of China) blue-throated flycatcher (Cyornis rubeculoides)

shānlánxiānwēng

山蓝仙鹟

[山藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) hill blue flycatcher (Cyornis whitei)

Xiānnüxīngxì

仙女星系

[仙女星系]

Andromeda galaxy M31

Zhōnghuáxiānwēng

中华仙鹟

[中華仙鶲]

(bird species of China) Chinese blue flycatcher (Cyornis glaucicomans)

báiwěilánxiānwēng

白尾蓝仙鹟

[白尾藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) white-tailed flycatcher (Cyornis concretus)

xiānrénzhǎnggǎnjūn

仙人掌杆菌

[仙人掌桿菌]

(microbiology) Bacillus cereus

zōngfùlánxiānwēng

棕腹蓝仙鹟

[棕腹藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) vivid niltava (Niltava vivida)

Hǎinánlánxiānwēng

海南蓝仙鹟

[海南藍仙鶲]

(bird species of China) Hainan blue flycatcher (Cyornis hainanus)

zōngfùdàxiānwēng

棕腹大仙鹟

[棕腹大仙鶲]

(bird species of China) Fujian niltava (Niltava davidi)

Xiānnüzuòxīngxì

仙女座星系

[仙女座星系]

Andromeda galaxy M31

Xiānnüzuòdàxīngyún

仙女座大星云

[仙女座大星雲]

great nebula in Andromeda or Andromeda galaxy M31

Bāxiānguòhǎi,gèxiǎnshéntōng

八仙过海，各显神通

[八仙過海，各顯神通]

lit. the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each showing his own special talent (idiom)
fig. (of each individual in a group) to give full play to one's unique capabilities

Bāxiānguòhǎi,gèxiǎnqínéng

八仙过海，各显其能

[八仙過海，各顯其能]

see 八仙過海，各顯神通／八仙过海，各显神通 ( Bāxiānguòhǎi,gèxiǎnshéntōng)

fànhòuyīzhīyān,sàiguòhuóshénxiān

饭后一支烟，赛过活神仙

[飯後一支煙，賽過活神仙]

have a smoke after each meal and you will surpass the immortals (proverb)