山 — “mountain” in Japanese

Grade 1さん, やま

Radical ⼭ · radical 46 The building block this kanji is filed under

“mountain” in Japanese is 山, read san, yama (さん, やま). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 山田 (Yamada surname).

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What does 山 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	山
Meaning	mountain
Readings	さん, やま
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	山田 (Yamada surname)

How to read 山

山 is read san (さん) or yama (やま) depending on the word.

Words with 山

火山
山田
岩山
登山
氷山
岡山
山梨
山脈
鉱山
沢山

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Kanji read the same way as 山

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28