What does 山 mean in Chinese?

山 (shān) means "mountain" in Chinese. The new HSK exam expects you to recognise it at HSK 3.

How do you write 山?

山 is written with 3 strokes, starting from the 山 (mountain) radical and following standard Chinese stroke order (top to bottom, left to right). See the interactive stroke-order tool for the full animation.

What is the radical of 山?

The radical of 山 is 山 (mountain, Kangxi radical #46). Other common HSK characters using the same radical include 岁.

How many strokes does 山 have?

The Chinese character 山 has 3 strokes.

What HSK level is 山?

On the new HSK exam syllabus, 山 is a character to recognise at HSK 3 and to write by hand at HSK 3.

山 (shān): Meaning, Stroke Order, Radical & Examples

山

shān

mountain

HSK 3 character 3 strokes Radical: 山 (mountain)

Quick Answer

山 (shān) means "mountain" with 3 strokes, radical 山 (mountain), HSK 3 on the new exam.

Full dictionary entry for 山 →Animated stroke-order for 山 →

Pronunciation

shān

Meaning

Primary: mountain

Etymology

Oracle-bone origin

The oracle-bone form of 山 is a clear pictograph of three peaks rising from a baseline, a direct picture of a mountain range seen from a distance. The three-peak convention is universal across oracle and bronze inscriptions, with the central peak typically the tallest. This is one of the most transparently pictographic characters in the script.

Form evolution

Bronze inscriptions keep the three peaks, sometimes with a more rounded baseline. Seal script straightens the peaks into vertical strokes joined by a horizontal base, already very close to the modern shape. Clerical script squares the curves into the three-stroke form used in standard script today; the character has been essentially unchanged since the Han dynasty.

How the meaning evolved

The basic meaning 'mountain' has remained constant from oracle-bone times to the present. Extensions include 'mountain-like mass' (冰山, iceberg), 'remote region' (山区), and metaphorical 'great quantity' (as in 人山人海). The character also functions as a radical in a large number of mountain-related characters such as 岩, 岭, and 峰.

Cultural note

山水 ('mountains and waters') is the standard term for landscape painting, a genre central to Chinese art from the Tang dynasty onward and built on the idea that mountain and water together express the whole natural order. The idiom 有眼不识泰山 ('to have eyes but not recognise Mount Tai') is a common self-deprecating apology for failing to recognise an important person.

Mnemonic

Three peaks — a mountain

Basic info

Pinyin	shān
Meanings	mountain
Stroke count	3 strokes
Radical	山 (#46: mountain)
New HSK exam	Recognise at HSK 3, write by hand at HSK 3
Frequency	#594 most common

Example sentences

我们周末去爬山。
Wǒmen zhōumò qù pá shān.
We go mountain climbing on weekends.
From 山 (HSK 3)
我喜欢爬山。
Wǒ xǐhuan páshān.
I like mountain climbing.
From 爬山
这只是冰山一角。
Zhè zhǐshì bīngshān yī jiǎo.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
From 冰山