岑

cén

今 + 山

Definitions

cén surname Cen

cén small hill

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 山 represents the meaning and 今 represents the sound.

Semantic: 山 Phonetic: 今

About

岑 is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 山 (mountain) providing the semantic category and 今 offering the pronunciation. The character originally denotes a small, high hill or a steep, prominent peak, emphasizing the physical characteristics of elevated and isolated landforms. In contemporary usage, it primarily functions as a Chinese surname, a proper noun indicating family lineage, while retaining its dictionary meaning related to mountainous terrain.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

岑先生是我的邻居。

Cén xiānsheng shì wǒ de línjū.

Mr. Cen is my neighbor.

山中的夜晚十分岑寂。

Shān zhōng de yèwǎn shífēn cénjì.

The mountain night is extremely quiet and secluded.

远处青岑如黛，景色很美。

Yuǎn chù qīng cén rú dài, jǐngsè hěn měi.

The green hills in the distance are dark like eyebrow pigment, the scenery is beautiful.

岑参是唐代著名的边塞诗人。

Cén Shēn shì Táng dài zhùmíng de biānsài shīrén.

Cen Shen was a famous frontier poet of the Tang Dynasty.

广西岑溪以出产花岗岩闻名。

Guǎngxī Cénxī yǐ chūchǎn huāgāngyán wénmíng.

Cenxi in Guangxi is famous for producing granite.

岑岩险峻，攀登起来很不容易。

Cén yán xiǎnjùn, pāndēng qǐlái hěn bù róngyì.

The rugged cliffs are steep and perilous, making them very difficult to climb.

每当他内心感到岑寂，就会去湖边散步。

Měi dāng tā nèixīn gǎndào cénjì, jiù huì qù hú biān sànbù.

Whenever he feels lonely and quiet inside, he goes for a walk by the lake.

面对人生的岑岭，他从未选择退缩。

Miànduì rénshēng de cén lǐng, tā cóng wèi xuǎnzé tuìsuō.

Facing the steep peaks of life, he never chose to retreat.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 今

Component: 山

岑