How to Write 崃 (lái) — Meaning “Mount Lai”

Think of a mountain (山) that 'comes' (来) to visit you. Visualize a mountain walking towards you like a friendly giant — that mountain is Mount Lai. This image connects the meaning and sound.

Pay attention to the right side 来: it has two horizontal strokes at the top, not a short horizontal like in 米 (rice). The left 山 radical should be slightly narrower than the right part. Write the 山 first, then the 来, keeping both balanced.

All three are mountain names, but 崃 (lái) is used in 邛崃 (Qionglai) and 崃山 (Mount Lai). 岢 (kě) appears in 岢岚 (a county in Shanxi), and 岣 (gǒu) is part of 岣嵝 (a mountain in Hunan). Visually, the right sides differ: 来 vs 可 vs 句.

崃 is almost exclusively found in place names, especially 邛崃 (Qionglai, a city in Sichuan) and 邛崃山 (the Qionglai Mountains). It is not in the HSK list and rarely appears outside geographical contexts. Culturally, 邛崃 is known for its ancient towns and wine-making history.

Common words containing 崃 include: 邛崃 (qióng lái) — Qionglai (a city in Sichuan); 邛崃山 (qióng lái shān) — Qionglai Mountains; 崃山 (lái shān) — Mount Lai.