How many strokes does the Chinese character "山" (shān) have?
"山" has 3 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 山, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Ready · 3 strokes
Speed:
Nature & Elements
Name: Good with Pairing
Tattoo: Better in a Phrase
山 Mountain in Chinese (shān)
Dictionary Summary
山 (shān) means mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4]); (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on; surname Shan. Simplified form has 3 strokes under radical 山.
Pinyin & Toneshān (Tone 1)
Simplified / Trad.山 / 山
Radical山
Total Strokes3 strokes
StructureBottom Enclosure (凵 + 丨)
Unicode / LevelU+5C71 · HSK 1
Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review
🪪 Using “山” in a Chinese Name · Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning)
Conveys stability and quiet grandeur when paired poetically (e.g., 景山, 山河, 远山). Avoid old-fashioned rural names like 大山 or 山柱.
✒️ Using “山” for a Tattoo · Better in a Phrase
Simple 3-stroke pictograph, though standalone 山 can feel slightly plain; pairing as 山水 (landscape) or 山海 (mountains & seas) elevates the imagery dramatically.
Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings
Origin & Visual Logic: A classic pictograph depicting three mountain peaks rising from a horizontal horizon.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 山 / 山 | shān | mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4]); (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on |
| 山 / 山 | Shān | surname Shan |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
Common Words & Idioms Using “山”
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山海 | shānhǎi | mountains and seas; vast horizons | |
| 青山 | qīngshān | green hills | |
| 山川 | shānchuān | mountains and rivers |
English Names Using “山” in Our Curated Recommendations
See how native speakers pair 山 (shān) into modern Chinese names:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "山" good to use in a real Chinese name?
Rating: Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning). Conveys stability and quiet grandeur when paired poetically (e.g., 景山, 山河, 远山). Avoid old-fashioned rural names like 大山 or 山柱.
Is "山" safe as a Chinese character tattoo?
Tattoo rating: Better in a Phrase. Simple 3-stroke pictograph, though standalone 山 can feel slightly plain; pairing as 山水 (landscape) or 山海 (mountains & seas) elevates the imagery dramatically.