Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
山岳 (さんがく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
mountains ; mountain range ; mountainous area
A somewhat formal or written collective term for mountains, often used in geographic, news, outdoor, or rescue-related compounds. It refers to mountains as terrain or a mountain area rather than to a single ordinary 山.
山さん 岳がく 地ち 帯たい で は 天てん 気き が 急きゅう に 変か わる こと が ある 。
In mountainous areas, the weather can change suddenly.
Written forms 山さん 岳がく Usage 99%
Standard modern spelling; common in written and news-style Japanese, especially in compounds such as 山岳地帯 and 山岳救助.
山さん 嶽がく Usage 1%
out-dated kanji form
Outdated kanji spelling given; normally write 山岳 in modern Japanese.
Similar words 山やま The basic everyday word for a mountain or hill; 山岳 is more formal and usually refers to mountains collectively or as terrain.
山さん 脈みゃく Means a mountain range as a connected geological chain; 山岳 is broader and can mean mountains or a mountainous area in general.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 山 and 岳, both associated with mountains or high peaks. The spelling is semantically transparent, but this is a component explanation rather than a detailed historical derivation.
