Meaning
山 is one of the most fundamental Chinese characters, representing a mountain or hill. The character itself is pictographic, visually resembling a mountain range with three peaks. It appears in countless compound words related to geography, nature, and idiomatic expressions.
Usage
This is an extremely common character used both independently and as a component in many compound words. It can refer to any elevated landform from small hills to massive mountain ranges. In compound words, it often indicates something related to mountains, wilderness, or rural areas. The character is also frequently used in place names throughout China.
Examples
- 01这座山很高。.This mountain is very tall.
- 02周末我们去爬山吧。.Let's go hiking this weekend.
Measure words
- 座一座山
- 片一片山
Common collocations
- 山顶mountain peak, summit
- 山脚foot of a mountain
- 深山deep in the mountains, remote mountains
- 山水landscape, scenery
Antonyms
Origin
山 is a pictograph dating back to oracle bone script. The three vertical strokes represent mountain peaks rising from the earth, making it one of the clearest examples of pictographic writing in Chinese.