墕 (yàn) - Yan — refers to a specific type of

墕Tone 4

yàn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

墕 · yàn

Yan — refers to a specific type of landform, particularly a narrow strip of land between mountains, often used in place names in northern China.

Yan — refers to a specific type of

Usage highlights

Mountain yanWangjia YanZhangjia YanLijia YanShang YanXia Yan

Synonyms

  • 堰— weir, dam (similar sound, different meaning)
  • 垭— mountain pass (similar geographical concept)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The village is located in a narrow mountain pass (山墕).
  • This area is known as Wangjia Yan (王家墕).
  • Many Shanxi villages have names ending with 'yan' (墕).

Collocations

  • Mountain yan(山墕)
  • Wangjia Yan(王家墕)
  • Zhangjia Yan(张家墕)
  • Lijia Yan(李家墕)
  • Shang Yan(上墕)
  • Xia Yan(下墕)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in geographical names, especially in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia regions.
  • Reflects the loess plateau topography where narrow land strips between hills are common settlement sites.
  • Often appears in village names, typically following family surnames to denote settlements.

FAQ