Save Gender Feminine Usage Chinese Scripts 纤烟, 先燕(Chinese) Other Forms FormsXian Yan Meaning & History From the Chinese 纤 (xiān) meaning "fine, delicate, graceful" or 先 (xiān) meaning "first" and 烟 (yān) meaning "smoke, soot" or 燕 (yàn) meaning "swallow (bird)".