How to Write 山 (shān) — Meaning “mountain; hill”

Imagine the character 山 looks like a mountain with three pointed peaks, like a camel's hump or a triangle hat. You can also think of the number 3 (for three strokes) sitting on a flat base, which reminds you of a small hill.

Start with the middle vertical stroke, then the left vertical stroke (shorter), and finally the right vertical stroke (slightly longer). The middle stroke should be the tallest, and all three strokes should be straight and evenly spaced — do not make the left and right strokes too wide or too slanted.

A common phrase is 爬山 (pá shān), meaning "to climb a mountain" or "hiking," used when talking about outdoor activities. Another is 高山 (gāo shān), meaning "high mountain," often used in geography or descriptions of tall peaks.

In modern Chinese, 山 appears in many place names, such as 黄山 (Huáng Shān, Yellow Mountain), and in idioms like 人山人海 (rén shān rén hǎi, "people mountain people sea" meaning a huge crowd). Culturally, mountains symbolize stability, strength, and a connection to nature in Chinese tradition.

Common words containing 山 include: 爬山 (pá shān) — To climb a mountain / Hiking; 山上 (shān shàng) — on the mountain; 高山 (gāo shān) — high mountain.