How to Write 垭 (yā) — Meaning “mountain pass”

Imagine a pile of earth (土) shaped like a saddle or the letter "Y" (亚) between two mountains — that is a mountain pass. The 亚 part looks like a person walking through a V-shaped gap in the earth. So picture a tiny traveler crossing 垭口 through the earth gap.

Write the radical 土 first as three strokes (horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the 亚 part on the right. For 亚, remember the order: first the top horizontal, then the middle vertical stroke, then the left and right vertical strokes, and finally the bottom horizontal with the small dot? Actually, 亚 is written with a short top horizontal, a long vertical through the center, then left vertical, right vertical, and a final longer bottom horizontal – no dot. Keep the left and right parts balanced, and make sure the 土 radical is slightly narrower than the 亚 component.

垭 (yā) has 亚 inside, meaning "mountain pass"; 圻 (qí) has 斤 (ax), meaning "boundary or limit". Visually, 亚 has a symmetrical shape with a central vertical stroke, while 斤 looks like an ax with a short vertical and a hook. 圼 (niè) is extremely rare and uses 日 (sun) or a similar block, so you will almost never see it — focus on 垭 versus 圻 by checking the right side for either 亚 or 斤.

垭 is mainly used in geographical terms like 垭口 (mountain pass or saddle) and 山垭 (mountain pass). You will often find it in place names in mountainous regions of China, such as on the Sichuan-Tibet highway where famous 垭口 like 折多山垭口 exist. It is a specialized character not in common daily conversation, but important for hiking, travel, and geography enthusiasts.

Common words containing 垭 include: 垭口 (yā kǒu) — mountain pass; saddle; 山垭 (shān yā) — Mountain pass; 垭子 (yā zi) — mountain pass.