山 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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山

山 means “mountain” in Japanese. Its three vertical peaks make it one of the easiest pictographic kanji to recognize.

Reading

On’yomi: サン (san)

Kun’yomi: やま (yama)

Basic Information

Kanji 山
Meaning mountain
Stroke Count 3
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

山 is used for mountains, hills, mountain areas, and many Japanese place names. It can also suggest a large amount, as in 山ほど, meaning “a mountain of” something.

Common Words

  • 山（やま / yama） — mountain
  • 富士山（ふじさん / fujisan） — Mount Fuji
  • 登山（とざん / tozan） — mountain climbing
  • 山道（やまみち / yamamichi） — mountain path
  • 火山（かざん / kazan） — volcano
  • 山川（やまかわ / yamakawa） — mountains and rivers

Example Sentences

  • 富士山は日本で一番高い山です。

    ふじさんはにほんでいちばんたかいやまです。 / Fujisan wa Nihon de ichiban takai yama desu.

    Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan.

  • 週末に登山をしました。

    しゅうまつにとざんをしました。 / Shūmatsu ni tozan o shimashita.

    I went mountain climbing on the weekend.

  • 山の空気はとても新鮮です。

    やまのくうきはとてもしんせんです。 / Yama no kūki wa totemo shinsen desu.

    The mountain air is very fresh.

Related Kanji

  • 川

    — 山川 means mountains and rivers, a classic nature pairing.

  • 木

    — Mountains are often covered with trees, so 山 and 木 often appear together in nature contexts.

  • 火

    — 火山 means volcano, directly combining fire and mountain.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

The common standalone reading is やま. The reading さん appears in famous mountain names such as 富士山. Because 山 is common in place names and station names, it is useful not only for reading Japanese but also for travel in Japan.

Summary

山 means mountain and is a basic nature kanji used in geography, place names, and everyday vocabulary.