Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 羨 (xiàn) originally depicted a man with drooling saliva (次/㳄) over a sheep (羊), representing the meaning 'to envy' or 'to covet.' In ancient China, sheep were valuable assets symbolizing wealth and prosperity. The character's composition visually conveys the feeling of desire for something others possess. Over time, the character evolved from its more pictorial Liushutong forms to the standardized modern version, while retaining its core meaning of envy and longing. Arrived in Japan: The character 羨 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange with China and Korea. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji character, reading as 'sen' or 'urayamu,' maintaining similar meanings of envy and admiration.