爬山

• Pinyin: pá shān
• Hanzi breakdown: 爬 (pá) — to climb; 山 (shān) — mountain

Meaning

To climb a mountain; to go hiking. A common leisure activity referring to mountain climbing or hill walking.

In everyday Chinese, 爬山 usually refers to recreational hiking or hill walking rather than technical mountaineering. It is one of the most popular outdoor activities in China, especially on weekends and holidays. Many Chinese cities have nearby mountains or hills for this purpose.

Examples

1. 周末我们一起去爬山吧。 Let's go hiking together this weekend.
2. 爬山对身体很好。 Hiking is very good for your health.
3. 他每个星期天都去爬山。 He goes hiking every Sunday.

Usage Guide

Context: outdoors, exercise, weekend plans

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 明天一起去爬山好不好？(Shall we go hiking together tomorrow?)
• 我很喜欢爬山。(I really enjoy hiking.)

Don't Say

• 不要把去公园的小山丘说成'登山' (Don't use the formal term 登山 for casual hill walks — that implies serious mountaineering; 爬山 is more appropriate for leisure hikes)

Origin & History

Verb-object compound of 爬 (to climb) and 山 (mountain). A straightforward and ancient combination describing the activity of ascending a mountain.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal