岩石

yánshí
noun HSK 7 #5,119

Measure Word

一块岩石 kuài

Meanings

  1. 1 rock; stone (geological)

Characters

Both characters mean 'rock' — together they form the formal/scientific term for rock as a geological substance.

Examples

Zhèlǐ de yánshí yǐjīng yǒu shàngyì nián de lìshǐ le.
The rocks here are over a hundred million years old.
Pānyán yùndòngyuán zài yánshí shàng zhǎo zháolìdiǎn.
The rock climber searched for footholds on the rock face.

Tips

usage
岩石 is the formal/scientific term (like 'rock' in geology), while 石头 (shítou) is the everyday word. You'd say 一块石头 (picked up a rock) in conversation, but 岩石样本 (rock sample) in a science context.

Stroke Order

yán
shí