山
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
mountain |
| Strokes |
3 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
サン |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
やま |
| Radical |
山 (yama) — U+5C71 |
Stroke Order
The kanji 山 is written in 3 strokes following the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: A vertical line starting from the top center, moving straight down.
- Stroke 2: A vertical line starting from the left, moving down, then turning 90 degrees to the right (a hook-like motion).
- Stroke 3: A vertical line on the right side, moving straight down to close the shape.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 山 is a pictograph (象形文字 - shōkei moji). It is its own radical (Radical 46). The shape is a direct stylized representation of a mountain range with three peaks. Because it is a fundamental character, it often appears as a component in other kanji related to nature or geography (e.g., 岩 - rock, 峠 - mountain pass).
Mnemonic
The Three Peaks: Imagine you are looking at a mountain range from a distance. The middle peak is the tallest (Stroke 1), and the two shorter peaks on the sides (Strokes 2 and 3) complete the silhouette of the mountain.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
サン (san)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 火山 |
かざん |
kazan |
volcano |
| 富士山 |
ふじさん |
fujisan |
Mt. Fuji |
| 山脈 |
さんみゃく |
sanmyaku |
mountain range |
| 登山 |
とざん |
tozan |
mountain climbing |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
やま (yama)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 山道 |
やまみち |
yamamichi |
mountain path |
| 山登り |
やまのぼり |
yamanobori |
mountain climbing |
| 山々 |
やまやま |
yamayama |
mountains |
JLPT N5 Words Using 山
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 山 |
やま |
yama |
mountain |
N5 |
| 富士山 |
ふじさん |
fujisan |
Mt. Fuji |
N5 |
| 火山 |
かざん |
kazan |
volcano |
N4 |
| 登山 |
とざん |
tozan |
mountain climbing |
N3 |
| 山道 |
やまみち |
yamamichi |
mountain path |
N3 |
| 山林 |
さんりん |
sanrin |
mountains and forests |
N2 |
| 山頂 |
さんちょう |
sanchō |
mountain summit |
N2 |
| 山岳 |
さんがく |
sangaku |
mountains |
N2 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 富士山は高いです。 |
ふじさんはたかいです。 |
Fujisan wa takai desu. |
Mt. Fuji is tall. |
| 山に登ります。 |
やまにのぼります。 |
Yama ni noborimasu. |
I will climb the mountain. |
| 火山が噴火しました。 |
かざんがふんかしました。 |
Kazan ga funka shimashita. |
The volcano erupted. |
| 山道は険しいです。 |
やまみちはけわしいです。 |
Yamamichi wa kewashii desu. |
The mountain path is steep. |
| 遠くに山が見えます。 |
とおくにやまがみえます。 |
Tōku ni yama ga miemasu. |
I can see mountains in the distance. |
| 登山は楽しいです。 |
とざんはたのしいです。 |
Tozan wa tanoshii desu. |
Mountain climbing is fun. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 山 |
やま |
mountain |
The middle stroke is the longest. |
| 出 |
で(る) |
exit/out |
Looks like two '山' stacked; represents coming out of a mountain. |
| 川 |
かわ |
river |
Three vertical strokes; represents flowing water, not peaks. |
Usage Frequency Note
山 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It is taught in the first grade of elementary school. It appears constantly in geography, place names, and everyday descriptions of nature. It is equally common in formal writing (newspapers/literature) and casual daily speech.