Spot 山
Find the repeated shape and notice where it sits before trying to memorize the whole character.
Visual pattern
山 component
shān · mountain
A recurring visual building block found inside multiple Chinese characters. Compare what stays the same and what changes across the family.
A repeatable reading move
How to use 山
Use the component as a clue, then verify the complete character.
Compare the visual pattern
Use the stable shape to recognize the family, without assuming it always supplies meaning or sound.
Check what changes
Read the remaining component, then confirm the full pinyin, meaning, and stroke order on the character page.
Shared clue山Visual pattern
Read the pattern before memorizing the list
Use the shared shape as a recognition anchor, then confirm the full character's pronunciation and meaning.
The component page is a learning family; the radical page is a dictionary index. A shape can serve both roles.
Compare the family
What stays the same, what changes?
Each card keeps 山 visible while showing the other building blocks and the completed character.
岁=
+夕
岛=
鸟
密=
宓
岸=
+厂+干
炭=
+灰
岔=
分
讪=
讠
仙=
亻
缶=
岌=
+及
屺=
+己
岂=
+己
More characters to try
Open any character for animation, writing feedback, examples, and a printable worksheet.
汕shàn屾shēn屹yì屿yǔ岙ào岜bā灿càn岑cén岗gǎng岚lán岐qí岍qiān岖qū氙xiān岘xiàn岈yá岱dài岽dōng岡gāng岣gǒu岵hù岬jiǎ岢kě岿kuī岭lǐng峁mǎo岷mín疝shàn岫xiù岩yán峄yì岳yuè峇bā峒dòng耑duān峤jiào峦luán舢shān峡xiá籼xiān峋xún幽yōu峥zhēng峙zhì島dǎo峨é峰fēng峻jùn崃lái崂láo豈qǐ峭qiào訕shàn赸shàn峽xiá峴xiàn峪yù崩bēng崇chóng崔cuī崗gǎng崮gù崞guō崛jué崆kōng崑kūn崙lún崎qí崧sōng崤xiáo崖yá崦yān崭zhǎn崢zhēng崒zú嵯cuó嵇jī嵐lán嵝lǒu嵋méi嵌qiàn嵘róng崴wǎi嵬wéi嵒yán崾yǎo嵛yú崽zǎi嵫zī嵴jǐ嵊shèng嵩sōng微wēi溦wēi嶇qū嶄zhǎn嶂zhàng徴zhēng嶝dèng嶡guì嶗láo嶙lín徵zhēng嶪yè嶧yì嶼yǔ豳bīn徽huī嶺lǐng嶸róng嶷yí嶽yuè豐fēng巅diān巆róng巍wēi巔diān巒luán巖yán
Move into vocabulary
Words you can read next
These words contain characters from the 山 family. Open one to see its complete breakdown.
岁suì
classifier for years
HSK 3.0 · L1密码mìmǎcipher
HSK 3.0 · L4紧密jǐnmìinseparably close
HSK 3.0 · L5秘密mìmìsecret
HSK 3.0 · L5密切mìqièclose
HSK 3.0 · L5压岁钱yāsuìqiánmoney given to children as a gift on Chinese New Year's Eve
HSK 3.0 · L5岸ànbank
HSK 3.0 · L6岛dǎoisland
HSK 3.0 · L6岗位gǎngwèia post
HSK 3.0 · L6海岸hǎi’àncoastal
HSK 3.0 · L6两岸liǎng’ànbilateral
HSK 3.0 · L6密mìdense
HSK 3.0 · L6