攀岩
pānyán
The English phrase "rock climbing" is translated into Chinese as 攀岩 (pānyán).
攀岩 is used as a noun to refer to the sport of scaling rock faces.
Meaning: sport of scaling rock faces (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound of two parts: 攀 (pān), which means to climb or scale and 岩 (yán), which means rock or cliff.
How do you pronounce it?
pānyán
Did you know?
- If you are climbing an indoor wall, you might hear the term 抱石 (bào shí), which literally means 'hug the rock' to refer to bouldering.
- The word 攀 (pān) is also used metaphorically in the phrase 攀高枝 (pān gāo zhī) to describe someone 'climbing a high branch' by marrying into a wealthier or higher social class.
- In Chinese, if you are climbing a mountain via a trail, you would never use 攀岩 but instead use 登山 (dēngshān), which literally means 'stepping up a mountain'.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢攀岩I love rock climbing
- 为了攀登这座岩壁，你必须保持平衡。In order to climb this cliff, you must maintain balance.
- 我喜欢攀岩。Wǒ xǐhuān pānyán.I like rock climbing.
- 攀岩是一项挑战性的运动。Pānyán shì yī xiàng tiǎozhàn xìng de yùndòng.Rock climbing is a challenging sport.
- 他去年开始练习攀岩。Tā qùnián kāishǐ liànxí pānyán.He started practicing rock climbing last year.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans.
- 志强 Zhiqiang雨婷，这个周末你想去攀岩吗？Yǔtíng, zhège zhōumò nǐ xiǎng qù pānyán ma?Yuting, do you want to go rock climbing this weekend?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想去，但我没有装备。Wǒ xiǎng qù, dàn wǒ méiyǒu zhuāngbèi.I want to go, but I don't have equipment.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你可以用我的装备。Nǐ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de zhuāngbèi.You can use my equipment.
- 雨婷 Yuting太好了，谢谢你，志强！Tài hǎole, xièxiè nǐ, Zhìqiáng!Great, thank you, Zhiqiang!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock climbing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
