表現

See also: 表现

Chinese

		surface; exterior; to watch surface; exterior; to watch; to show; express; an example; a list or table; a meter; a watch; chart; external	appear; present; now appear; present; now; existing; current
trad. (表現)		表	現
simp. (表现)		表	现

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): biǎoxiàn

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): biu² jin⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): péu-hien / péu-hian

(Hailu, HRS): biau^ˊ hien^˖
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): piáu-hiān

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: biǎoxiàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: biǎosiàn
  - Wade–Giles: piao³-hsien⁴
  - Yale: byǎu-syàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: beaushiann
  - Palladius: бяосянь (bjaosjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: biu² jin⁶
  - Yale: bíu yihn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: biu² jin⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: biu² yin⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /piːu̯³⁵ jiːn²²/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: péu-hien
  - Hakka Romanization System: beu^ˋ hien
  - Hagfa Pinyim: beu³ hian⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /peu̯³¹ hi̯en⁵⁵/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: péu-hian
  - Hakka Romanization System: beu^ˋ hian
  - Hagfa Pinyim: beu³ hian⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /peu̯³¹ hi̯an⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: biau^ˊ hien^˖
  - Sinological IPA: /piau²⁴⁻³³ hien³³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piáu-hiān
  - Tâi-lô: piáu-hiān
  - Phofsit Daibuun: piaw'hien
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /piau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hiɛn²²/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /piau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ hiɛn⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /piau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hiɛn²²/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /piau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hiɛn³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /piau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hiɛn³³/

Verb

表現

to show; to display; to manifest
- 但這孩子卻也有可敬的地方：他的從容，他的沉默，他的獨斷獨行，他的一去不回頭，都是力的表現，都是強者適者的表現。決不婆婆媽媽的，決不粘粘搭搭的，一針見血，一刀兩斷，這正是白種人之所以為白種人。 [MSC, trad.]
  但这孩子却也有可敬的地方：他的从容，他的沉默，他的独断独行，他的一去不回头，都是力的表现，都是强者适者的表现。决不婆婆妈妈的，决不粘粘搭搭的，一针见血，一刀两断，这正是白种人之所以为白种人。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 朱自清 (Zhu Ziqing), 《白種人——上帝的驕子》
  Dàn zhè háizi què yě yǒu kějìng de dìfang: tā de cóngróng, tā de chénmò, tā de dúduàndúxíng, tā de yī qù bù huítóu, dōu shì lì de biǎoxiàn, dōu shì qiángzhě shìzhě de biǎoxiàn. Juébù pópomāma de, juébù niánniándādā de, yīzhēnjiànxiě, yīdāoliǎngduàn, zhè zhèngshì báizhǒngrén zhī suǒ yǐ wéi báizhǒngrén. [Pinyin]
  But there was something about the child that could be respected. His leisurely way, his reticence, his arbitrariness, his way of walking ahead without looking back. These were manifestations of his power, the power of the strongest, of the fittest. The child was, by no means, overly careful, or irresolute. The child could hit the nail on the head and make a clean break. The child was a quintessential Caucasian.
to express
to show off; to make a display of; to flaunt

Synonyms

(to show):

edit

喻示 (yùshì)
展出 (zhǎnchū)
展示 (zhǎnshì)
披露 (pīlù)
指授 (zhǐshòu) (literary)
指明 (zhǐmíng)
指示 (zhǐshì)
揭示 (jiēshì)
明確指出 / 明确指出 (míngquè zhǐchū)
顯示 / 显示 (xiǎnshì)

(to express):

edit

代表 (dàibiǎo)
參加 / 参加 (cānjiā)
展現 / 展现 (zhǎnxiàn)
提出 (tíchū)
提起 (tíqǐ)
發揮 / 发挥 (fāhuī)
發表 / 发表 (fābiǎo)
致 (zhì) (literary, or in compounds)
致以 (zhìyǐ)
表示 (biǎoshì)
表述 (biǎoshù)
表達 / 表达 (biǎodá)
達 / 达 (literary, or in compounds)

(to show off):

edit

展品棒 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
展風龜 / 展风龟 (Hokkien)
抖落 (dǒuluò)
搬弄 (bānnòng)
炫示 (xuànshì)
炫耀 (xuànyào)
耍 (shuǎ)
誇示 / 夸示 (kuāshì) (literary)
賣弄 / 卖弄 (informal)
顯示 / 显示 (xiǎnshì)
顯要 / 显要 (xiǎnyào)

Noun

表現

performance (at school, work, etc.); behaviour; conduct
表現優異／表现优异 ― biǎoxiàn yōuyì ― to excel
expression (of an artistic nature)
藝術表現形式／艺术表现形式 ― yìshù biǎoxiàn xíngshì ― forms of artistic expression
(medicine) presentation
臨床表現／临床表现 ― línchuáng biǎoxiàn ― clinical presentation

Derived terms

表現主義 / 表现主义 (biǎoxiànzhǔyì)
表現力 / 表现力 (biǎoxiànlì)
表現型 / 表现型 (biǎoxiànxíng)

Related terms

體現／体现 (tǐxiàn)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (表現):

→ Japanese: 表(ひょう)現(げん) (hyōgen)
→ Korean: 표현(表現) (pyohyeon)
→ Vietnamese: biểu hiện (表現)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
表	現
ひょう Grade: 3	げん Grade: 5
on'yomi

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ひょーげん [hyòógéꜜǹ] (Nakadaka – [3])
IPA^(key): [ço̞ːɡẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

表(ひょう)現(げん) • (hyōgen)

expression (by words, facial, attitude)
文(も)字(じ)を表(ひょう)現(げん)手(しゅ)段(だん)として使(し)用(よう)する
moji o hyōgen shudan to shite shiyō suru
use writing as a means of expression
representation (of art, play, music)
performance (of actor, player, ...)

Derived terms

表(ひょう)現(げん)主(しゅ)義(ぎ) (hyōgenshugi)
表(ひょう)現(げん)派(は) (hyōgenha)
正(せい)規(き)表(ひょう)現(げん) (seiki hyōgen, “regular expression”)

Verb

表(ひょう)現(げん)する • (hyōgen suru) transitive suru (stem 表(ひょう)現(げん)し (hyōgen shi), past 表(ひょう)現(げん)した (hyōgen shita))

express
- 2025 February 19, 谷口仁史, quotee, “第217回国会　参議院　国民生活・経済及び地方に関する調査会　第3号　令和7年2月19日”, in 国会会議録検索システム‎^[1], 国立国会図書館, retrieved 29 December 2025:
  図は、孤立した若者の自立支援のプロセスを表現しております。
  Zu wa, koritsu shita wakamono no jiritsu shien no purosesu o hyōgen shite ori masu.
  The diagram shows the process of helping isolated young people become independent.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "表現する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	表現し	ひょうげんし	hyōgen shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	表現し	ひょうげんし	hyōgen shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	表現する	ひょうげんする	hyōgen suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	表現する	ひょうげんする	hyōgen suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	表現すれ	ひょうげんすれ	hyōgen sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	表現せよ¹ 表現しろ²	ひょうげんせよ¹ ひょうげんしろ²	hyōgen seyo¹ hyōgen shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	表現される	ひょうげんされる	hyōgen sareru
Causative	表現させる表現さす	ひょうげんさせるひょうげんさす	hyōgen saseru hyōgen sasu
Potential	表現できる	ひょうげんできる	hyōgen dekiru
Volitional	表現しよう	ひょうげんしよう	hyōgen shiyō
Negative	表現しない	ひょうげんしない	hyōgen shinai
Negative continuative	表現せず	ひょうげんせず	hyōgen sezu
Formal	表現します	ひょうげんします	hyōgen shimasu
Perfective	表現した	ひょうげんした	hyōgen shita
Conjunctive	表現して	ひょうげんして	hyōgen shite
Hypothetical conditional	表現すれば	ひょうげんすれば	hyōgen sureba

¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative

References

“表現”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026
Ineko Kondō, Fumi Takano, Mary E. Althaus, et al. (2002), Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, third edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
表	現

Noun

表現 • (pyohyeon) (hangeul 표현)

hanja form^? of 표현 (“expression”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
表	現

Noun

表現

chữ Hán form of biểu hiện (“expression, manifestation”)

Verb

表現

chữ Hán form of biểu hiện (“to express”)