The character 山 — “mountain”: how to write it and what it means
mountain
The Chinese character 山 is read shān and means “mountain”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 山
山 has 3 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 山, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 山 is made of
A picture of three peaks.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 山
- 山区mountainous areaHSK 5
- 山顶mountaintopHSK 6
- 山峰mountain peakHSK 6
- 山坡hillside, mountain slopeHSK 6
- 人山人海sea of people, huge crowdsHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 山?
山 has 3 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 山 mean?
山 means “mountain”. It appears in 山区 (“mountainous area”), 山顶 (“mountaintop”), 山峰 (“mountain peak”), 山坡 (“hillside”).
How do you pronounce 山?
山 is read shān. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 山 have?
3 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 山 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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