Chinese word

悬崖

Pronunciation

Pinyinxuán yá

Meaning

  • nouncliff

Example

孩子们不敢靠近悬崖。hái zi men bù gǎn kào jìn xuán yá

The children do not dare go near the cliff.

Illustration for 悬崖 (cliff)

More examples

摄影者站在悬崖边拍摄落日。shè yíng zhě zhàn zài xuán yá biān pāi shè luò rì

The photographer stood at the edge of a cliff and photographed the sunset.

Core concept

A sudden drop at the edge of solid ground, where safety ends and danger begins.

Common phrases

  • 站在悬崖边zhàn zài xuán yá biān

    stand at the edge of a cliff

  • 爬上悬崖pá shàng xuán yá

    climb up a cliff

  • 悬崖边缘xuán yá biān yuán

    cliff edge

Similar words

断崖duàn yá: A high cliff edge that ends abruptly and is nearly vertical.
绝壁jué bì: A nearly vertical rock face that is almost impossible to climb.

Definition in Chinese

指高而陡的岩石边缘，也可引申为处于危险或临界的状态。zhǐ gāo ér dǒu de yán shí biān yuán yě kě yǐn shēn wèi chǔ yú wēi xiǎn huò lín jiè de zhuàng tài

Word origin

悬 (xuán, "to hang") + 崖 (yá, "steep rock edge") forms a word for a rock edge that hangs above a sharp drop.

Usage tips

  • When the subject is a plan, relationship, or situation rather than a landscape, the word signals serious risk or an approaching turning point, not a physical place.

Opposites

Related words

  • 悬崖峭壁xuán yá qiào bìsheer cliffsnoun
  • 悬崖勒马xuán yá lè mǎrein in before it is too lateidiom

Word lists with this word