巗 (yán) - Yán — a high, steep cliff & a precipice

巗Tone 2

yán ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

巗 · yán

Yán — a high, steep cliff;

a precipice;

a rocky peak.

Yán — a high, steep cliffa precipicea rocky peak.

Usage highlights

CliffRocky peakCliff faceMountain cliffSteep cliffRocky and steep

Synonyms

  • 岩— rock; cliff
  • 崖— cliff; precipice
  • 峰— peak; summit

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The climber scaled the sheer cliff (巗).
  • They built a temple on the rocky peak (巗峰).
  • The path led along the edge of a precipice (巗崖).

Collocations

  • Cliff(巗崖)
  • Rocky peak(巗峰)
  • Cliff face(巗壁)
  • Mountain cliff(山巗)
  • Steep cliff(峻巗)
  • Rocky and steep(巉巗)

Idioms

  • Sheer precipice and overhanging rocks(悬崖峭壁)
  • Towering cliffs and grotesque rocks(层峦叠嶂)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical Chinese poetry and landscape descriptions to convey grandeur and danger.
  • Associated with remote, hermetic dwellings of Daoist immortals or Buddhist monks in literature.
  • Represents the sublime, untamed power of nature in traditional Chinese aesthetics.

FAQ