山 meaning and stroke order
Mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4]); (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on
How to write 山, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 山
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4])
- (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on
How 山 is built
Pictographic character. Three mountain peaks.
How to remember 山
山 (shān) is a picture of three mountain peaks rising from the ground, with the tallest one in the middle. You can also see it as a tall stroke 丨 standing inside a valley shape 凵.
山 means mountain or hill and appears in many everyday words like 爬山 (pá shān, to hike), 火山 (huǒshān, volcano), and 山区 (shānqū, mountain area). Its measure word is 座 (zuò). Example: 我们周末去爬山。(Wǒmen zhōumò qù pá shān.) We are going hiking this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 个 (gè) as the measure word, but the natural choice is 一座山 (yí zuò shān). Also, 山 is first tone shān, so do not confuse it with 闪 (shǎn, to flash) or 善 (shàn, kind), which sound close but have different tones.
Common words with 山
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爬山 | pá shān | to go for a hike (esp. in the hills or mountains) | HSK 2 |
| 登山 | dēngshān | to climb a mountain; climbing | HSK 4 |
| 山区 | shānqū | mountain area | HSK 5 |
| 山谷 | shāngǔ | valley; ravine | HSK 6 |
| 山峰 | shānfēng | (mountain) peak | HSK 6 |
| 山坡 | shānpō | hillside | HSK 6 |
| 火山 | huǒshān | volcano | HSK 7-9 |
| 下山 | xiàshān | to go down a hill; (of the sun or moon) to set | HSK 7-9 |
| 山顶 | shāndǐng | hilltop | HSK 7-9 |
| 高山 | gāoshān | high mountain; alpine mountain | HSK 7-9 |
| 冰山 | bīngshān | iceberg; ice-covered mountain | HSK 7-9 |
| 山寨 | shānzhài | fortified hill village; mountain stronghold (esp. of bandits) | HSK 7-9 |
| 山路 | shānlù | mountain road | HSK 7-9 |
| 雪山 | xuěshān | snow-capped mountain | HSK 7-9 |
山 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 山
Learning 山 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 山
How many strokes are in 山?
山 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 山 mean?
山 (shān) means mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4]); (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on. A common word with it is 爬山 (pá shān), meaning "to go for a hike (esp. in the hills or mountains)".
How do you pronounce 山?
山 is pronounced shān, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 山 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 山 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 爬山 and 登山?
爬山 (pá shān) is the everyday word for going hiking or walking up a hill for fun. 登山 (dēngshān) sounds more formal and often refers to serious mountain climbing as a sport.
Does 下山 only mean going down a mountain?
No. 下山 (xiàshān) also describes the sun or moon setting, as in 太阳下山了 (tàiyáng xiàshān le), the sun has set.