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On'yomi
サン・セン
SAN / SEN
Kun'yomi
やま
yama

mountain

nature

Details

Strokes3
Frequency#131
Radicalmountain(3)

Stroke Order

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Strokes3

Component Breakdown

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Mountain (base form)

Cultural Context

Etymology

Pictograph depicting three connected mountain peaks.

Symbolism

Nature, sacred, place of training. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture as objects of mountain worship.

Spiritual Meaning

Sacred dwelling place of gods in Shinto. Mountain worship forms the basis of Shugendō; the spirituality of "mountains as sacred grounds" is deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Related Culture & Scenes

  • Aiming for the mountain peak

Games

登山の達人/風来のシレン

Shiren the Wanderer(1995)

Nintendo/PlayStation

Developer: Spike Chunsoft

Roguelike RPG conquering dungeons (mountains).

View on Amazon →

Words & Expressions

Four-Character Compounds

海千山千

うみせんやません

cunning and experienced in the ways of the world; crafty and worldly-wise; sly old (fox); cunning and experienced in the ways of the world

山紫水明

さんしすいめい

scenic beauty; scenic beauty

物見遊山

ものみゆさん

going on a pleasure jaunt; going on a pleasure jaunt

深山幽谷

しんざんゆうこく

deep mountain valleys; deep mountain valleys

泰山北斗

たいざんほくと

great authority; eminent person; luminary; great authority

風林火山

ふうりんかざん

as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain; as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain

山川草木

さんせんそうもく

nature; natural scenery; nature

大山鳴動

たいざんめいどう

big fuss over nothing; much cry and little wool; much ado about nothing; big fuss over nothing

千山万水

せんざんばんすい

many mountains and rivers; a great distance to travel; many mountains and rivers

雲雨巫山

うんうふざん

sexual liaison; sexual liaison

高山流水

こうざんりゅうすい

high mountains and running water; the beauty of nature; beautifully (skillfully) played music; high mountains and running water

山容水態

さんようすいたい

scenic beauty of mountains and streams; fresh and clear beauty of nature's splendor; scenic beauty of mountains and streams

屍山血河

しざんけつが

heaps of bodies and streams of blood; fierce battle; heaps of bodies and streams of blood

抜山蓋世

ばつざんがいせい

great strength and energy (of a mighty hero); Herculean strength and vitality; great strength and energy (of a mighty hero)

巫山雲雨

ふざんうんう

sexual liaison; sexual liaison

泰山圧卵

たいざんあつらん

the strong overwhelming the weak; completing various things without difficulty; Mt. Tai crushes an egg; the strong overwhelming the weak

Proverbs & Idioms

山あり谷あり

やまありたにあり

Mountains and valleys

Life has its ups and downs

塵も積もれば山となる

ちりもつもればやまとなる

Even dust piles up to make a mountain

Small efforts accumulate to great results

Poetry

和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

春すぎて 夏来にけらし 白妙の 衣ほすてふ 天の香具山

Poem #2 from Hyakunin Isshu

持統天皇Empress Jitō
7th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

あしびきの 山鳥の尾の しだり尾の ながながし夜を ひとりかも寝む

Poem #3 from Hyakunin Isshu

柿本人麻呂Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
7th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

奥山に もみぢ踏み分け 鳴く鹿の 声聞く時ぞ 秋は悲しき

Poem #5 from Hyakunin Isshu

猿丸大夫Sarumaru Dayū
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

天の原 ふりさけ見れば 春日なる 三笠の山に 出でし月かも

Poem #7 from Hyakunin Isshu

安倍仲麿Abe no Nakamaro
8th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

わが庵は 都のたつみ しかぞすむ 世をうぢ山と 人はいふなり

Poem #8 from Hyakunin Isshu

喜撰法師Kisen Hōshi
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

立ち別れ いなばの山の 峰に生ふる まつとし聞かば 今帰り来む

Poem #16 from Hyakunin Isshu

中納言行平Chūnagon Yukihira
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

吹くからに 秋の草木の しをるれば むべ山風を 嵐といふらむ

Poem #22 from Hyakunin Isshu

文屋康秀Fun'ya no Yasuhide
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

このたびは ぬさもとりあへず 手向山 紅葉のにしき 神のまにまに

Poem #24 from Hyakunin Isshu

菅家Sugawara no Michizane
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

名にしおはば 逢坂山の さねかづら 人に知られで くるよしもがな

Poem #25 from Hyakunin Isshu

三条右大臣Sanjō no Udaijin
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

小倉山 峰のもみぢ葉 心あらば 今ひとたびの みゆき待たなむ

Poem #26 from Hyakunin Isshu

貞信公Teishin Kō
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

山里は 冬ぞさびしさ まさりける 人めも草も かれぬと思へば

Poem #28 from Hyakunin Isshu

源宗于朝臣Minamoto no Muneyuki
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

山川に 風のかけたる しがらみは 流れもあへぬ 紅葉なりけり

Poem #32 from Hyakunin Isshu

春道列樹Harumichi no Tsuraki
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

契りきな かたみに袖を しぼりつつ 末の松山 波越さじとは

Poem #42 from Hyakunin Isshu

清原元輔Kiyohara no Motosuke
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

ありま山 ゐなの笹原 風吹けば いでそよ人を 忘れやはする

Poem #58 from Hyakunin Isshu

大弐三位Daini no Sanmi
11th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

大江山 いく野の道の 遠ければ まだふみも見ず 天の橋立

Poem #60 from Hyakunin Isshu

小式部内侍Koshikibu no Naishi
11th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

もろともに あはれと思へ 山桜 花よりほかに 知る人もなし

Poem #66 from Hyakunin Isshu

前大僧正行尊Saki no Daisōjō Gyōson
11th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

あらし吹く み室の山の もみぢ葉は 竜田の川の 錦なりけり

Poem #69 from Hyakunin Isshu

能因法師Nōin Hōshi
11th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

高砂の をのへの桜 咲きにけり 外山のかすみ 立たずもあらなむ

Poem #73 from Hyakunin Isshu

前中納言匡房前中納言匡房
Unknown
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

憂かりける 人を初瀬の 山おろしよ はげしかれとは 祈らぬものを

Poem #74 from Hyakunin Isshu

源俊頼朝臣源俊頼朝臣
Unknown
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

世の中よ 道こそなけれ 思ひ入る 山の奥にも 鹿ぞ鳴くなる

Poem #83 from Hyakunin Isshu

皇太后宮大夫俊成Kōtaigōgū no Daibu Toshinari
12th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

み吉野の 山の秋風 さ夜ふけて ふるさと寒く 衣うつなり

Poem #94 from Hyakunin Isshu

参議雅経Sangi Masatsune
13th century