Yin Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Small (xiǎo) Kangxi Strokes: 13 Page 297, Entry 26 Pronounced xian (rising tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Graphs and Analysis of Characters): Few. Composed of the graph for this and the graph for small. Xu Shen says: This also means correct. When things are correct, they are few; thus, few is xian. Modern people often borrow the character xian (fresh) to represent this, but classical texts use xian. Jiyun (Collection of Rhymes): Sometimes written in the variant forms xian (triple fish) or xian (variant).