山: the kanji for mountain
山 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means mountain. Below are its readings, 11 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
山 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
山 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 10 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
サン (san)
On reading. It becomes zan in some words.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 富士山ふじさん · Fujisan | Mount Fuji |
| 登山とざん · tozan | mountain climbing |
| 火山かざん · kazan | volcano |
| 山脈さんみゃく · sanmyaku | mountain range |
| 高山こうざん · kōzan | high mountain |
| 山頂さんちょう · sanchō | summit |
やま (yama)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 山やま · yama | mountain |
| 山登りやまのぼり · yamanobori | hiking; mountain climbing |
| 山道やまみち · yamamichi | mountain path |
| 山場やまば · yamaba | critical point; climax |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 山, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 山車だし · dashi | festival float |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 週末に山に登ります。Shūmatsu ni yama ni noborimasu.I'm going to climb a mountain this weekend.
- ここから富士山が見えます。Koko kara Fujisan ga miemasu.You can see Mount Fuji from here.
- 今週がプロジェクトの山場です。Konshū ga purojekuto no yamaba desu.This week is the critical point of the project.
- 仕事が山ほどあります。Shigoto ga yama hodo arimasu.I have a mountain of work.
- 日本には火山が多いです。Nihon ni wa kazan ga ōi desu.Japan has many volcanoes.
- 山頂から町が見えました。Sanchō kara machi ga miemashita.We could see the town from the summit.
Questions about 山
How many strokes does 山 have?
山 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 山?
The on readings are san (サン). The kun readings are yama (やま).
How is 富士山 read?
富士山 is read Fujisan. 山 (san) follows the names of many mountains in Japan.
What JLPT level is 山?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Places and directions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 山
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.