薦 (jiàn) - To recommend & to present

薦Tone 4

jiàn ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

薦 · jiàn

To recommend;

to present;

to offer;

to suggest for a position or honor;

also refers to grass, straw matting.

To recommendto presentto offer

Usage highlights

RecommendNominate for officeLetter of recommendationSelfOffer to spiritsStraw mat

Synonyms

  • 推— to push; to recommend
  • 举— to lift; to recommend
  • 引— to lead; to introduce

Antonyms

  • 贬— to demote; to criticize
  • 黜— to dismiss; to remove from office

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I recommend this candidate for the position (推荐候选人).
  • He was nominated for an award (被荐举获奖).
  • Animals present offerings in ancient rituals (荐牲于神).
  • Sleeping on a straw mat (荐席).

Collocations

  • Recommend(推荐)
  • Nominate for office(荐举)
  • Letter of recommendation(荐书)
  • Self-recommendation(自荐)
  • Offer to spirits(荐享)
  • Straw mat(草荐)

Idioms

  • To recommend oneself(毛遂自荐)
  • Repeatedly recommend someone(再三荐举)
  • Offer sacrifices to ancestors(荐享祖先)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In imperial China, recommending talented individuals for government service was an important duty of officials.
  • The character originally depicted an animal (deer) on grass, representing offerings presented to spirits or ancestors.
  • The practice of 'self-recommendation' (自荐) has historical precedent, most famously in the story of Mao Sui during the Warring States period.

FAQ