山

Meaning

Mountain · montaña

Readings

• On (音読み): サン
• Kun (訓読み): やま

Example words

• 富士山（ふじさん）— Mt. Fuji
• 山道（やまみち）— mountain path
• 火山（かざん）— volcano

Structure

Radical 山 (やま・やまへん · Mountain) · 3 strokes · school grade 1

Watch out

Named mountains take the on-reading サン: 富士山 is ふじさん — ×ふじやま is a foreigners’ reading. It voices in some compounds: 火山 かざん, 登山 とざん (mountain climbing). Three peaks: the clearest pictograph of all.