7 Kanji with 山 (さん)｜Learn 岩, 島, 岸 and More by Radical
Learn 7 essential N3-level kanji that include the 山 (mountain) radical all at once.
Understand the common semantic links between kanji related to natural terrain, such as mountains, rocks, islands, and coasts.
Improve your memorization efficiency by associating kanji meanings and readings through their shared components.
How this bundle was curated
All items at a glance
| Kanji | Kun'yomi | On'yomi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山 | やま | さん | mountain |
| 岩 | いわ | がん | rock |
| 島 | しま | とう | island |
| 岸 | きし | がん | coast / shore |
| 岳 | たけ | がく | tall mountain / peak |
| 峰 | みね | ほう | peak / summit |
| 崩 | くずれる | ほう | to collapse / to crumble |
Item by item
Kun: やま
On: さん
mountain
This is the most basic kanji, modeled after the shape of three mountain peaks. In other kanji, it acts as a radical, adding meanings related to mountains or terrain.
Kun: いわ
On: がん
rock
This kanji shows 石 (stone) beneath 山 (mountain). It represents large, hard stones found in mountains, meaning 'rock'.
Kun: しま
On: とう
island
A combination of 鳥 (bird) and 山 (mountain). It is said to derive the meaning 'island' from the image of migratory birds resting on a mountain floating in the sea.
Kun: きし
On: がん
coast / shore
Combines 山 (mountain), 厂 (cliff/shore), and 干 (shield). It represents a steep 'hill' or 'coast' meeting the water's edge.
Kun: たけ
On: がく
tall mountain / peak
Features 丘 (hill) beneath 山 (mountain), representing a 'tall mountain' that is much higher and more rugged than a typical mountain.
Kun: みね
On: ほう
peak / summit
A combination of 山 (mountain) and 夆 (meet/pull). It represents the highest top part of a mountain, or 'peak'.
Kun: くずれる
On: ほう
to collapse / to crumble
Combines 山 (mountain) and 朋 (companion). It depicts a mountain splitting into two, expressing the image of dirt or rocks 'crumbling' or 'collapsing'.
Practice with examples
How to decide when unsure
- Depending on whether the 山 radical is placed at the top (岩, 岳), left (峰, 崩), or bottom/other positions (島, 岸), the overall shape of the kanji changes, but they all share nuances related to 'mountains, terrain, dirt/stones'.
- Even with the same 山 radical, the scale or specific part referred to can differ, as seen in 岳 (tall mountain) and 峰 (peak). Therefore, it is generally beneficial to memorize them along with the context in which the words are used.
Common mistakes
島 (island) has the 山 (mountain) radical at the bottom instead of the four dots (灬) found in 鳥 (bird). Since the two kanji look very similar, it is helpful to distinguish 島 by picturing the image of a 'mountain (山) in the sea'.
Mini quiz
Which of the following kanji and meaning pairs is incorrect?
One-line summary
Kanji containing the 山 (mountain) radical capture the characteristics of terrain and natural features. Associating them based on the meaning of the radical makes them much easier to memorize.
FAQ
How are 岳 (tall mountain) and 山 (mountain) used differently?
Generally, 山 refers to all types of mountains, while 岳 is primarily used to indicate very large, rugged, or rocky mountains.
Is 崩 (to collapse) only used when a mountain collapses?
No. Although it originally meant a mountain collapsing, it is widely used in various everyday situations, such as a building or formation collapsing, or a person's health or the weather deteriorating (e.g., 体調が崩れる, 天気が崩れる).
