沙
沙·sand
- On-yomi
- サ
- Kun-yomi
- none
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご無沙汰 | ごぶさた | not having been in touch for a long time |
| 沙汰 | さた | word; news; instructions; affair |
| 音沙汰 | おとさた | news or word from someone |
| 取り沙汰 | とりざた | rumour; public talk |
Example sentences
ご無沙汰しております。お元気ですか。
ごぶさたしております。おげんきですか。
It has been a long time. How have you been?
あれから彼女は何の音沙汰もない。
あれからかのじょはなんのおとさたもない。
There has been no word from her since then.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- In modern Japanese sand is 砂 — 沙 survives mainly in 沙汰 and in names
- 沙汰 voices to ざた after another word: 取り沙汰 とりざた
Memory aid
Picture it
Water 氵 beside 少 (few): where the water runs thin, the sand shows through.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 沙 mean?