山

shān

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

shān (noun) mountain; hill

Etymology

Pictograph of a mountain.

About

The character 山 is a classic pictograph whose three distinct strokes form a mountain range with the central peak being the tallest. This visual representation makes it instantly recognizable as a mountain, and its primary meanings are 'mountain', 'hill', or 'prominent peak'. Beyond its independent use, it also functions as a fundamental building block and a common radical in the writing system. When used as a component, 山 typically conveys a semantic relationship to mountainous terrain, rugged landscapes, rocky elevations, and geological formations associated with high altitudes.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

山上有许多树。

Shān shàng yǒu xǔduō shù.

There are many trees on the mountain.

我们去爬山吧。

Wǒmen qù pá shān ba.

Let's go climb the mountain.

这座山很高。

Zhè zuò shān hěn gāo.

This mountain is very high.

我喜欢山里的空气。

Wǒ xǐhuān shān lǐ de kōngqì.

I like the air in the mountains.

山的另一边是城市。

Shān de lìng yībiān shì chéngshì.

The other side of the mountain is a city.

每年夏天我们都去山上度假。

Měi nián xiàtiān wǒmen dōu qù shān shàng dùjià.

Every summer we go to the mountains for vacation.

由于地形复杂，攀登这座山非常困难。

Yóuyú dìxíng fùzá, pāndēng zhè zuò shān fēichāng kùnnán.

Due to the complex terrain, climbing this mountain is very difficult.

科学家们正在研究这座山的形成原因。

Kēxuéjiā men zhèngzài yánjiū zhè zuò shān de xíngchéng yuányīn.

Scientists are studying the reasons for the formation of this mountain.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 山

Example Words