Definitions

yán (noun) rock; cliff

Etymology

The rocks that make up a mountain 

About

The character "岩" derives from a straightforward structural composition of "山" meaning mountain and "石" meaning stone, visually representing a rocky mountain or crag, and it existed historically as a variant of the more intricate traditional form "巖" that combined "山" with the component "嚴" to imply a stern or precipitous cliff. Over time, the semantic range of "岩" expanded from primarily describing steep rock formations to a more general term for rock or stone, encompassing both large geologic structures and basic mineral matter. This meaning stabilized as the character's form simplified, with its constituent parts remaining logically indicative of its definition, leading to its prevalent use in technical and everyday vocabulary related to geology and physical landscapes.

Example Sentences Hide

这块石很硬。

Zhè kuài yánshí hěn yìng.

This rock is very hard.

洞里有蝙蝠。

Yándòng lǐ yǒu biānfú.

There are bats in the cave.

浆从火山喷出。

Yánjiāng cóng huǒshān pēnchū.

Magma erupts from the volcano.

他爬上了壁。

Tā pá shàngle yánbì.

He climbed up the cliff.

画是古代艺术。

Yánhuà shì gǔdài yìshù.

Rock paintings are ancient art.

地质学家研究层。

Dìzhì xuéjiā yánjiū yáncéng.

Geologists study rock layers.

这座山很难攀登。

Zhè zuò yánshān hěn nán pāndēng.

This rocky mountain is difficult to climb.

岸附近发现了化石。

Zài yán'àn fùjìn fāxiànle huàshí.

Fossils were found near the rocky shore.