山 shān — mountain; hill
这座山的风景很美。Zhè zuò shān de fēng jǐng hěn měi.The scenery of this mountain is beautiful.
Common words: 爬山 (pá shān)、登山 (dēng shān)、山区 (shān qū)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "mountain"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "mountain", including 山 (shān), 岳 (yuè), 岳 (yuè), 陵 (líng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "mountain" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 山 (shān), 岳 (yuè), 岳 (yuè), 陵 (líng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shān, yuè, líng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 山 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 山 shānmountain; hillUseful words: 爬山, 登山
- 岳 yuè(surname); mountain; wife's father; mountainUseful words: 岳父, 岳母
- 岳 yuè(surname); mountain; wife's father; mountainUseful words: 岳父, 岳母
- 陵 língmound; tomb; hill; mountainUseful words: 丘陵, 陵园
Common words for these 4 "mountain" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 山 (shān) — so "mountain" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
爬山pá shānto go for a hike (esp. in the hills or mountains)登山dēng shānto climb a mountain; climbing; mountaineering山区shān qūmountain area岳父yuè fùwife's father, father-in-law岳母yuè mǔwife's mother, mother-in-law岳家yuè jiāwife's parents' home岳父yuè fùwife's father, father-in-law岳母yuè mǔwife's mother, mother-in-law岳家yuè jiāwife's parents' home丘陵qiū línghills
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "mountain".
岳 yuè — (surname); mountain; wife's father; mountain
五岳是中国五座著名的大山。Wǔ yuè shì Zhōng guó wǔ zuò zhù míng de dà shān.The Five Sacred Mountains are five famous mountains in China.
Common words: 岳父 (yuè fù)、岳母 (yuè mǔ)、岳家 (yuè jiā)
岳 yuè — (surname); mountain; wife's father; mountain
五岳是中国五座著名的大山。Wǔ yuè shì Zhōng guó wǔ zuò zhù míng de dà shān.The Five Sacred Mountains are five famous mountains in China.
Common words: 岳父 (yuè fù)、岳母 (yuè mǔ)、岳家 (yuè jiā)
陵 líng — mound; tomb; hill; mountain
南京有许多著名的帝王陵墓。Nán jīng yǒu xǔ duō zhù míng de dì wáng líng mù.Nanjing has many famous imperial tombs.
Common words: 丘陵 (qiū líng)、陵园 (líng yuán)、凭陵 (píng líng)
All 4 characters
Open 山、岳、岳 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.