Pinyin "xian4"

In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "xian4" is split up into two parts: "xi" and "an4". You can visit the Pinyin index to see how other Pinyin syllables are split up into initials and finals.

Mnemonics for Pinyin initial "xi"

Xi is for Marie Curie.
Alternative mnemonic for xi: Xi Shi (西施), one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China.

Mnemonics for Pinyin final "an4"

In the anthill's bathroom.

Characters pronounced xian4

to appear / also written 現|现[xian4]
to appear / present / now / existing / current

= + : Martin Luther King has a project in which he wants to document the current state of the nation. He has a surveillance camera put up in the anthill's bathroom and interviews Marie Curie about her views about the present time.
thread / string / wire / line / CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3],根[gen1] / (after a number) tier (unofficial ranking of a Chinese city)

线 = + : The silk worm wants to use the floating tank in the anthill's bathroom, but there's already Marie Curie inside—and she secured the tank by setting up barbed wire all around it.

线 = + : Mnemonic symbol: barbed wire.
variant of 線|线[xian4]

线 = + : Mnemonic symbol: barbed wire.

线 = + : The silk worm wants to use the floating tank in the anthill's bathroom, but there's already Marie Curie inside—and she secured the tank by setting up barbed wire all around it.
county

= + : Marie Curie (xi) and the county manager of her home county are manufacturing maps of her home county (县) inside of the anthill's bathroom (an4). The county has a very special form which you can reproduce by smashing a fake nose (厶) with a shelf (且).
amaranth (genus Amaranthus) / Joseph's coat (Amaranthus tricolor) / Chinese spinach (Amaranth mangostanus)

= + : Marie Curie (xi) steals some amaranth (苋) plants from the anthill's bathroom (an4) and replaces them with artificial lawn (艹) to hide the crime. She doesn't know that there are security cameras (见) though.
to limit / to restrict / (bound form) limit / bound

= + : Marie Curie (xi) caught the pope (阝) munching chewing gum (艮) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). Marie hates it when someone puts their chewing gum just anywhere in the room, so she marks a confined space with red and white tape and sends the pope to stay within the limits (限) while he is chewing.
to offer / to present / to dedicate / to donate / to show / to put on display / worthy person (old)

= + : The Saint Bernard dog (犬) is out of blood to bring to severe emergency spots, so Marie Curie (xi) volunteered to donate (献) blood in the anthill's bathroom (an4). To make her feel comfortable, the Saint Bernard dog set up a palm (南) from the south pacific.
pitfall / trap (archaic)

= + : Marie Curie (xi) wants to catch the crane (⺈) and set up a trap (臽) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). She prepares a sling trap (臽) and places a mortar (臼) with some food in the middle of the sling, and soon she will catch the crane.
(archaic) pit; hole in the ground / (archaic) variant of 陷[xian4]
pitfall / trap / to get stuck / to sink / to cave in / to frame (false charge) / to capture (a city in battle) / to fall (to the enemy) / defect

= + : After Marie Curie (xi) caught the crane in the anthill's bathroom (an4) she wants to catch the pope (阝) next. She knows that a normal sling trap (臽) will not work, so she digs a pitfall (陷) this time, but to be on the safe side she installs an additional sling trap (臽) at the bottom of the pitfall (陷).
statute / constitution

= + : Marie Curie (xi) wants to commemorate the FLOTUS (先) and sets up a statue (宪) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). The statue is wearing a graduation cap (宀) and holding the constitution (宪) as if it were reading it to the people.
gland
to envy

= + : Marie Curie (xi) envies (羡) the sheep (羊) for that nice cube (次) it has in the anthill's bathroom (an4).
stuffing / forcemeat / filling

= + : Marie Curie (xi) set up a sling trap (臽) in the anthill's bathroom (an4) and uses a Chinese cruller (饣) as bait. She'll mince (馅) whatever she catches and use as stuffing (馅) for her dumplings.
Japanese variant of 縣|县 / Japanese prefecture