KaiwaGo山 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
山 means “mountain”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: サン (san). Kun’yomi: やま (yama).
How to write 山 (stroke order)
Write 山 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 山
Trace 山 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 山
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | サン (san) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | やま (yama) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 山 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 山
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山 | やま yama | mountain | |
| 富士山 | ふじさん fujisan | Mount Fuji |
山 (yama) means “mountain”.
富士山 (fujisan) means “Mount Fuji”.
FAQ
What does 山 mean in Japanese?
山 means “mountain”. Common words with it are 山 (yama, “mountain”) and 富士山 (fujisan, “Mount Fuji”).
How many strokes does 山 have?
山 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 山?
The on’yomi is サン (san) and the kun’yomi is やま (yama). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 山 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 山 is kanji number 49 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.