巔 meaning and stroke order
Mountain peak, mountain top
How to write 巔, stroke by stroke
22 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
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
Meaning of 巔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- summit
How 巔 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The top 顛 of a mountain 山; 顛 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 山 (mountain), shared by 111 characters on this site.
How to remember 巔
Picture a mountain 山 (shān) sitting on top of 顛 (diān), the top of something. The mountain placed above "top" gives you the very peak, and 顛 also tells you the sound diān.
巔 is a literary word for a summit. It mostly appears in set words like 巔峰 (diānfēng, peak, apex) and 山巔 (shāndiān, mountaintop), often used figuratively for the high point of a career or skill. Example: 他正處於事業的巔峰。(Tā zhèng chǔyú shìyè de diānfēng.) He is at the peak of his career.
Common mistake: Learners often write 顛 (diān, to topple, upside down) when they mean 巔. The two share a sound, but only 巔 has 山 on top for "summit." So write 巔峰, not 顛峰, and remember that 顛倒 (diāndǎo, reversed) has no mountain.
Common words with 巔
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 巔峰 | diānfēng | summit; apex | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 巔
How many strokes are in 巔?
巔 is written with 22 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 巔 mean?
巔 (diān) means mountain peak, mountain top. A common word with it is 巅峰 (diānfēng), meaning "summit; apex".
How do you pronounce 巔?
巔 is pronounced diān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 巔?
The radical of 巔 is 山, which carries the idea of "mountain". Dictionaries list 巔 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 巔?
巔 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 巅, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 巔 and 峰?
峰 (fēng) is a peak as a landform, and you can count it, as in 一座山峰. 巔 is the very top point of a mountain and is more literary. Together, 巔峰 means the absolute high point.
Can I use 巔 by itself in everyday speech?
Not usually. In casual talk people say 山頂 (shāndǐng) for a mountaintop. 巔 alone sounds poetic, so it is best learned inside words like 巔峰 or 山巔.