山 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
山 means mountain, plain and simple. You'll meet it in two roles: as a standalone noun (山, "a mountain") and as a building block inside compound words and place names (火山 "volcano," 登山 "mountain climbing," 富士山 "Mt. Fuji"). It's also one of the most pictographic kanji in the language — three lines rising up like a row of peaks — which makes both its shape and its meaning easy to lock in from day one.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | やま | 山 (mountain), 山登り (やまのぼり, mountain climbing) |
| on'yomi | サン | 富士山 (ふじさん, Mt. Fuji), 火山 (かざん, volcano), 登山 (とざん, climbing) |
Here's the rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (やま) shows up when the kanji stands more or less alone, while the on'yomi (サン) appears inside two-kanji compound words and in the names of famous mountains. So plain 山 is やま, but 火山 ("volcano") and 富士山 ("Mt. Fuji") both switch to サン. One thing to watch: the san in 火山 softens to ざん because of a common sound change called rendaku — same reading, just voiced.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 3. Write the center peak (the tall vertical) first, then the left stroke, and finish with the bottom-and-right L-shape that ties them together at the base.
- Radical: 山 is its own radical, the "mountain" radical (やま). It often sits on the left or top of other landscape-and-terrain kanji — for example 岩 (rock) and 島 (island) — so spotting 山 inside a new kanji is a hint that it has something to do with mountains or land.
Recognizing that radical is genuinely useful: see 山 tucked into an unfamiliar kanji and you can already guess it's terrain-related.
Common words using 山
Notice the reading split in action: the lone noun 山 and the everyday 山登り both take やま, while the compounds 富士山 and 登山 flip to サン. The odd one out is 沢山 (たくさん, "a lot") — here 山 is read さん as part of an irregular spelling (ateji), and the word has nothing to do with actual mountains. Treat 沢山 as a fixed exception you simply memorize.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは大きい山が大好きです。
ヤッタンは おおきい やまが だいすきです。
Yattan loves big mountains.
山 standing alone — the kun'yomi やま reading.
ヤッタンとモチは今年の夏に富士山に登ります。
ヤッタンと モチは ことしの なつに ふじさんに のぼります。
Yattan and Mochi will climb Mt. Fuji this summer.
富士山 uses the on'yomi サン, as mountain names usually do.
先生は「日本には火山が沢山あります」と言いました。
せんせいは「にほんには かざんが たくさん あります」と いいました。
Sensei said, There are many volcanoes in Japan.
Two readings here: 火山 (かざん, サン with rendaku) and 沢山 (たくさん, irregular).
Quick recap
- 山 = mountain; just 3 strokes; it's the "mountain" radical itself.
- やま when it stands alone (山, 山登り); サン in compounds and mountain names (富士山, 登山).
- 火山 voices to かざん (rendaku), and 沢山 = たくさん is an irregular reading you memorize.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 山 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 山 in 山 vs 富士山?
On its own, 山 is the kun'yomi やま ('a mountain'). In 富士山 it's the on'yomi サン (ふじさん, 'Mt. Fuji'). As a rule, compounds and mountain names take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 山 have?
山 has just 3 strokes and is also the 'mountain' radical. You write the center vertical first, then the left stroke, then the connecting bottom-right L-shape.
Why is 火山 read かざん and not かさん?
This is rendaku, a common sound change where the second word's first sound becomes voiced in a compound. So さん becomes ざん, giving かざん ('volcano').
Why does 沢山 mean 'a lot' if 山 means mountain?
沢山 (たくさん) is an irregular spelling (ateji) where the kanji are borrowed for their sound, not their meaning. Just memorize it as a fixed word meaning 'a lot, many.'