岩 meaning and stroke order
Cliff; rocks; mountain
How to write 岩, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 8
Meaning of 岩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cliff
- rock
- variant of 巖|岩[yan2]
- variant of 岩[yan2]
How 岩 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The rocks 石 that make up a mountain 山.
Radical: 山 (mountain), shared by 111 characters on this site.
How to remember 岩
岩 (yán) stacks a mountain 山 on top of a stone 石. Think of the hard rock that a mountain is built from, and you have a cliff or crag.
In modern Chinese 岩 rarely stands alone. It mostly appears in compound words, especially geology terms and the sport of rock climbing. Example: 我周末去攀岩。(Wǒ zhōumò qù pānyán.) I go rock climbing on weekends.
Common mistake: Learners often use 岩 when they just mean a small stone. For everyday rocks and pebbles, say 石头 (shítou). Save 岩 or 岩石 (yánshí) for large rock masses and scientific contexts.
Common words with 岩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
岩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 岩
How many strokes are in 岩?
岩 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 岩 mean?
岩 (yán) means cliff; rocks; mountain. A common word with it is 岩石 (yánshí), meaning "(geology) rock".
How do you pronounce 岩?
岩 is pronounced yán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 岩?
The radical of 岩 is 山, which carries the idea of "mountain". Dictionaries list 岩 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 岩?
The traditional form of 岩 is 嵒, 巖 and 巗. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 岩 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 岩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 岩 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 岩浆 and 熔岩?
岩浆 (yánjiāng) is magma, molten rock still underground. 熔岩 (róngyán) is lava, the molten rock after it reaches the surface, or the rock it cools into.
How do I say types of rock like granite in Chinese?
Many rock names end in 岩, such as 花岗岩 (huāgāngyán) for granite. The 岩 at the end works like the English word rock in these names.