岸

See also: 㟁, 𡶜, and 崖

岸 U+5CB8, 岸 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5CB8 ← 岷 [U+5CB7] CJK Unified Ideographs 岹 → [U+5CB9]

Translingual

Han character

岸 (Kangxi radical 46, 山+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 山一一十 (UMMJ), four-corner 2224₁, composition ⿸屵干 or ⿱山厈)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 310, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8009
• Dae Jaweon: page 610, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 766, character 4
• Unihan data for U+5CB8

Chinese

simp. and trad.		岸
alternative forms		㟁 屽 厈 垾

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 岸
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (干) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
訐	*krads, *krads, *ked, *kad
肝	*kaːn
竿	*kaːn
干	*kaːn
奸	*kaːn
玕	*kaːn
汗	*kaːn, *ɡaːn, *ɡaːns
迀	*kaːn
忓	*kaːn, *ɡaːns
鳱	*kaːn
邗	*kaːn, *ɡaːn
秆	*kaːnʔ
矸	*kaːnʔ, *kaːns, *ɡaːns
仠	*kaːnʔ
皯	*kaːnʔ
衦	*kaːnʔ
簳	*kaːnʔ
擀	*kaːnʔ
旰	*kaːns
盰	*kaːns
幹	*kaːns
杆	*kaːns
骭	*kaːns, *ɡraːns
桿	*kaːnʔ
趕	*kaːnʔ
稈	*kaːnʔ
刊	*kʰaːn
靬	*kʰaːn, *kʰaːns, *kreːn, *kan
衎	*kʰaːnʔ, *kʰaːns
犴	*ŋaːn, *ŋaːns
豻	*ŋaːn, *ŋaːns, *ɦŋaːns, *ŋ̊ʰraːn
頇	*ŋaːns, *hŋaːn, *ŋaːd
岸	*ŋɡaːns
鼾	*qʰaːn, *ɢaːns
罕	*qʰaːnʔ, *qʰaːns
焊	*qʰaːnʔ, *ɡaːns
蔊	*qʰaːnʔ
虷	*ɡaːn
旱	*ɡaːnʔ
皔	*ɡaːnʔ
釬	*ɡaːns
扞	*ɡaːns
閈	*ɡaːns
馯	*ɡaːns, *kʰraːn
捍	*ɡaːns, *ɡraːnʔ
悍	*ɡaːns
銲	*ɡaːns
垾	*ɡaːns
駻	*ɡaːns
睅	*ɡʷranʔ
娨	*ɡraːns
飦	*kan
赶	*ɡan, *ɡʷad
軒	*qʰan
蓒	*qʰan
酐	*qʰaːŋʔ
澣	*ɡʷaːnʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ŋɡaːns): semantic 屵 (“cliff”) + phonetic 干 (OC *kaːn) – the edge of the land. Its proto-form was 屵.

Etymology

Possibly derived from a stem *ŋaʔ (“to oppose; to resist”) + general noun suffix *-n; related to 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns, “cliff”), 滸 (OC *hŋaːʔ, “riverbank”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): àn (an⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ngan⁴

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ngon⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngon⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): ngon⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngan

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngan⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): ghan³
• Northern Min (KCR): ngāing
• Eastern Min (BUC): ngiâng / ngâng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ngyor⁵ / huann⁵ / ngang⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hōaⁿ / gān

  (Teochew, Peng'im): huan⁷ / ngai⁶

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): hua¹ / ngang⁷

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶ngoe
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ngan⁴ / ngan⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: àn
    • Zhuyin: ㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: àn
    • Wade–Giles: an⁴
    • Yale: àn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ann
    • Palladius: ань (anʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ngan⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ngan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋan²¹³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: ngon⁶
    • Yale: ngohn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngon⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngon⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔːn²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngon⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡᵘɔn³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ngon⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɵn¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngan
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngan
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngan⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋan⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngan⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋan⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ghan³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɣæ̃⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngāing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaiŋ⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngiâng / ngâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋiɑŋ²⁴²/, /ŋɑŋ²⁴²/

Note:

• ngiâng - vernacular;
• ngâng - literary.

• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ngyor⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ngiō̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋyɒ¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: huann⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hũã²¹/
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ngang⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ngāng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaŋ¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ngang⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaŋ²¹/
Note:
• ngyor5/huann5 - vernacular;
• ngang5 - literary.
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Yongchun, Changtai, Zhangpu, General Taiwanese, Klang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hōaⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: huānn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hvoa
    • IPA (Hui'an): /huã²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /huã⁴¹/
    • IPA (Nan'an, Klang): /huã³¹/
    • IPA (Zhangpu, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /huã³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yongchun, Changtai): /huã²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Yongchun, Changtai, Zhangpu, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gān
    • Tâi-lô: gān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gan
    • IPA (Nan'an): /ɡan³¹/
    • IPA (Zhangpu, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɡan³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɡan⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yongchun, Changtai): /ɡan²²/
    • IPA (Hui'an): /ɡan²¹/
Note:
• hōaⁿ - vernacular;
• gān - literary.
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: huan⁷ / ngai⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: huāⁿ / ngăi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hũã¹¹/, /ŋai³⁵/
Note:
• huan7 - vernacular;
• ngai6 - literary.
• • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: hua¹ / ngang⁷
    • Sinological IPA: /hua³⁵/, /ŋaŋ⁵⁵/
Note:
• hua1 - vernacular;
• ngang7 - literary.
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ngoe
    • MiniDict: ngoe^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³ngoe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ŋø²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /ŋø²³¹/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ngan⁴ / ngan⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋan⁴⁵/, /ŋan²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: nganH

Rime
Character	岸
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	寒 (61)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	五旰切
Baxter	nganH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋɑnH/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋɑnH/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋɑnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋanH/
Li Rong	/ŋɑnH/
Wang Li	/ŋɑnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ŋɑnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	àn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngon6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ŋ]ˤa[r]-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋɡaːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	岸
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	àn
Middle Chinese	‹ nganH ›
Old Chinese	/*[ŋ]ˁa[r]-s/
English	bank of a river
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	岸
Reading #	1/1
No.	3604
Phonetic component	干
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	岸
Old Chinese	/*ŋɡaːns/

Definitions

岸

1. bank; shore; coast

   海岸  ―  hǎi'àn  ―  coast

   靠岸  ―  kào'àn  ―  to approach the shore

2. high; lofty

   偉岸／伟岸  ―  wěi'àn  ―  tall and sturdy

3. stately; haughty
4. border

Compounds

• 上岸 (shàng'àn)
• 不立崖岸
• 了岸
• 偏岸
• 偉岸 / 伟岸 (wěi'àn)
• 傲岸 (ào'àn)
• 兀岸
• 免稅口岸 / 免税口岸
• 兩岸 / 两岸 (liǎng'àn)
• 凸岸
• 列岸
• 到岸價格 / 到岸价格
• 到彼岸
• 北海岸
• 南岸 (nán'àn)
• 厓岸
• 原生海岸
• 口岸 (kǒu'àn)
• 合岸
• 器岸
• 嚴岸 / 严岸
• 回頭是岸 / 回头是岸 (huítóu shì àn)
• 圭角岸然
• 坑岸
• 埽岸
• 埭岸
• 堤岸 (dī'àn)
• 塍岸
• 塌岸
• 塘岸
• 墜岸 / 坠岸
• 夾岸 / 夹岸 (jiā'àn)
• 孤峰絕岸 / 孤峰绝岸
• 對岸 / 对岸 (duì'àn)
• 屠岸 (Tú'àn)
• 山岸
• 岸埽
• 岸岸
• 岩岸
• 岸巾
• 岸幘 / 岸帻
• 岸忽
• 岸捆 (ànkǔn)
• 岸標 / 岸标 (ànbiāo)
• 岸然 (ànrán)
• 岸然道貌
• 岸獄 / 岸狱
• 岸異 / 岸异
• 岸谷
• 岸谷之變 / 岸谷之变 (àngǔzhībiàn)
• 岸邊 / 岸边 (ànbiān)
• 岸限
• 岸頭 / 岸头 (àntóu)
• 崖岸 (yá'àn)
• 崖岸自高
• 嵬岸
• 巖岸 / 岩岸
• 幫岸 / 帮岸
• 廣岸 / 广岸
• 引岸
• 彼岸 (bǐ'àn)
• 抹岸
• 插岸
• 撐岸就船 / 撑岸就船
• 攏岸 / 拢岸
• 斬岸 / 斩岸
• 斷岸 / 断岸
• 木岸
• 東岸 / 东岸 (dōng'àn)
• 林岸
• 東海岸 / 东海岸 (Dōnghǎi'àn)
• 柳岸
• 梧岸
• 椒岸
• 楚岸
• 此岸
• 氣岸 / 气岸
• 水岸
• 江岸 (jiāng'àn)
• 沙岸
• 泊岸 (bó'àn)
• 泮岸
• 沿岸 (yán'àn)
• 河岸 (hé'àn)
• 法岸
• 沿岸流
• 沿岸貿易 / 沿岸贸易
• 波羅岸 / 波罗岸
• 津岸
• 海岸 (hǎi'àn)
• 海岸山脈 / 海岸山脉
• 海岸平原
• 海岸流
• 海岸線 / 海岸线 (hǎi'ànxiàn)
• 海岸防線 / 海岸防线
• 海峽兩岸 / 海峡两岸
• 涯岸 (yá'àn)
• 煙岸 / 烟岸
• 牆岸 / 墙岸
• 玉岸
• 瑰岸
• 瑤岸 / 瑶岸
• 田岸 (chhân-hōaⁿ) (Min Nan)
• 畔岸
• 登岸 (dēng'àn)
• 盤岸 / 盘岸
• 石幫岸 / 石帮岸
• 硎岸
• 碕岸
• 碩岸 / 硕岸
• 移岸
• 移船就岸
• 稜岸 / 棱岸
• 立崖岸
• 站乾岸兒 / 站干岸儿
• 絕岸 / 绝岸
• 行岸
• 覺岸 / 觉岸
• 誕登道岸 / 诞登道岸
• 護岸 / 护岸
• 護岸林 / 护岸林
• 豐岸 / 丰岸
• 象牙海岸 (Xiàngyá Hǎi'àn)
• 赤岸
• 起岸
• 軒岸 / 轩岸
• 迷岸
• 通商口岸 (tōngshāng kǒu'àn)
• 道岸
• 道貌岸然 (dàomào'ànrán)
• 邃岸
• 邊岸 / 边岸 (biān'àn)
• 野岸
• 開岸 / 开岸
• 阪岸
• 阬岸 / 坑岸
• 陰岸 / 阴岸
• 隋岸
• 隄岸
• 隔岸
• 隔岸觀火 / 隔岸观火 (gé'ànguānhuǒ)
• 隔岸開火 / 隔岸开火
• 雷岸
• 霸岸
• 霸陵岸
• 青岸
• 靠岸 (kào'àn)
• 頹岸 / 颓岸
• 風岸 / 风岸
• 駁岸 / 驳岸 (bó'àn)
• 驁岸 / 骜岸
• 驛岸 / 驿岸
• 驚濤拍岸 / 惊涛拍岸
• 高岸
• 高岸深谷
• 魁岸
• 鵠岸 / 鹄岸
• 鵲岸 / 鹊岸
• 黃金海岸 / 黄金海岸 (Huángjīn Hǎi'àn)
• 齧岸 / 啮岸

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: ngạn

References

• (Min Nan) “岸”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.