崖
崖·cliff, precipice
- On-yomi
- ガイ
- Kun-yomi
- がけ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 崖 | がけ | cliff |
| 断崖 | だんがい | precipice, sheer cliff |
| 崖崩れ | がけくずれ | landslide, cliff collapse |
| 崖っぷち | がけっぷち | edge of a cliff, the brink |
Example sentences
崖の下に小さな村が見える。
がけのしたにちいさなむらがみえる。
A small village can be seen below the cliff.
大雨で崖崩れが起きて道が塞がれた。
おおあめでがけくずれがおきてみちがふさがれた。
Heavy rain caused a landslide that blocked the road.
断崖の上から海を見下ろした。
だんがいのうえからうみをみおろした。
I looked down at the sea from atop the precipice.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 崖涯涯 (limit, as in 生涯) has the water radical 氵 where 崖 has 山.
- 崖圭圭 (two 土 stacked) sits inside both; only the left-hand element tells them apart.
Common mistakes
- Reading 断崖 as だんがけ — the compound is だんがい
- Writing 生涯 (lifetime) with 崖 — that word uses the water-radical 涯
Memory aid
Picture it
Mountain 山 over a slope 厂 with earth stacked on earth 圭: layers of rock ending in a sudden drop.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 崖 mean?