Definitions

shān (noun) mountain; hill

Etymology

Pictograph of a mountain.

About

The character '山' originated as a pictographic representation of a mountain range, with its form visually capturing the profile of multiple peaks. Its structure, built from three vertical strokes above a horizontal base, has maintained this essential shape across centuries, serving as a stable graphical symbol for its meaning. Etymologically, it directly denotes a mountain or hill, a core definition that has persisted without alteration. While fundamentally a standalone character, it also acts as a semantic component in other characters, often contributing notions related to topography or large masses. Over time, its usage has expanded into metaphorical contexts within compounds and idioms, drawing on the mountain's imagery to imply concepts of size, barrier, or stability, yet its primary literal sense remains firmly anchored.

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

上有许多树。

Shān shàng yǒu xǔduō shù.

There are many trees on the mountain.

我们去爬吧。

Wǒmen qù pá shān ba.

Let's go climb the mountain.

这座很高。

Zhè zuò shān hěn gāo.

This mountain is very high.

我喜欢里的空气。

Wǒ xǐhuān shān lǐ de kōngqì.

I like the air in the mountains.

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.