How to Write 岙 (ào) — Meaning “Col; mountain valley; bay”

Picture the top part 夭 as a person with arms spread wide, standing on a mountain (山). The person is enjoying the view from inside a mountain valley, which helps you recall that 岙 means a valley or bay.

Write the top part 夭 first with four strokes: left-falling, horizontal, left-falling again, then right-falling (not a hook). Then add the mountain radical 山 below, making sure it is centered under the 夭 and not too tall. Common mistake is making the 夭 too wide, which throws off balance.

岙 has 夭 on top, while 屹 has 乞 (meaning 'beg') and 屺 has 己 (meaning 'self'). 屹 means 'towering' (a high mountain), 屺 means 'barren mountain', but 岙 specifically means a valley or col — a low area. Their visual difference is in the top component.

岙 is mainly used in geographic place names, especially in southern Chinese regions like Zhejiang and Fujian, to describe small mountain valleys or coastal coves. You might see it on maps or in local village names, but it is not used in everyday conversation or HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 岙 include: 山岙 (shān ào) — Mountain valley; 岙口 (ào kǒu) — Entrance to a mountain valley; 岙里 (ào lǐ) — Inside the mountain valley.