JLPT N4Everyday

さ-ness: makes an adjective a noun

さ turns an adjective into a noun: 高たかい is "high" and 高たかさ is "height". The noun is a measurement, or how much of a quality something has.

この箱はこの重おもさは二にキロです。

This box weighs two kilograms.

このかばんの軽かるさには驚おどろきました。

I was surprised by how light this bag is.

使つかってみて、この製せい品ひんの便べん利りさに気きづきました。

After trying it, I realized how convenient this product is.

い-adjectives

高たかい → 高たかさ

さ takes the place of the final い. いい becomes よさ.

な-adjectives

便べん利り + さ

Straight on, with no な: 便べん利りさ, 静しずかさ.

Before it: Nearly any い-adjective, and most な-adjectives.
What you get: A noun. It takes の in front and a particle after: 川かわの深ふかさを.
In English: Sometimes one word: height, weight, beauty. Often "how … it is".
Where you'll meet it: Everywhere, in conversation and in writing.

Measurements

高たかさheight

この机つくえの高たかさを測はかってください。

Please measure the height of this desk.

長ながさlength

髪かみの長ながさはどのくらいにしますか。

How long would you like your hair?

At the hairdresser's.

大おおきさsize

同おなじ大おおきさの箱はこが二ふたつあります。

There are two boxes of the same size.

広ひろさsize of a room

この部屋へやの広ひろさはどのくらいですか。

How big is this room?

暑あつさthe heat

私わたしは暑あつさに弱よわいです。

I can't take the heat.

寒さむさ is the cold.

A person's height and weight have words of their own: 身しん長ちょう and 体たい重じゅう.

Qualities: how good, how important

With other adjectives it is the quality itself, or how much of it there is.

実じっ際さいに使つかうと、この道どう具ぐのよさが分わかります。

Once you actually use it, you understand what is good about this tool.

山やまの美うつくしさを写しゃ真しんだけで伝つたえるのは難むずかしい。

It is difficult to convey the beauty of the mountain through photographs alone.

病びょう気きになって、健けん康こうの大たい切せつさが分わかりました。

After I got ill, I understood how important health is.

Two things to know

Some な-adjectives are nouns already

健けん康こう is "healthy" and also "health". 自じ由ゆう is "free" and also "freedom". Words like these need no さ.

健けん康こうが一いち番ばん大たい切せつです。

Health is the most important thing.

Not 健けん康こうさ.

A different さ

In casual talk さ also turns up after a word or a phrase, partway through a sentence. That one is a filler, like "you know".

あのさ、明日あした、暇ひま？

Hey, are you free tomorrow?

Close neighbours

みN3

On a small set of words, み names something you feel or taste. 楽たのしさ is how much fun something is; 楽たのしみ is something you look forward to.

夏なつ休やすみを楽たのしみにしています。

I'm looking forward to summer vacation.

さ (casual particle)N4

Keeps the other person with you, as ね does in mid-sentence, and more casually: only to friends, family or someone junior.

昨日きのうさ、駅えきでさ、田た中なかさんに会あったんだ。

So yesterday, at the station, I ran into Tanaka.

Check yourself

1"the length of the bridge"

橋はしの（　　）

Choose an answer to see why.

2"what is good about this town"

この町まちの（　　）

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

使つかいやすさ

Endings that behave like い-adjectives take it too: 使つかいやすい gives 使つかいやすさ, ease of use.

このカメラは使つかいやすさで選えらびました。

I chose this camera for its ease of use.

More sentences

この図と書しょ館かんの静しずかさが好すきです。

I like how quiet this library is.

子こどもにもこのゲームの面おも白しろさが分わかった。

Even the children could see what makes this game fun.

計けい画かくには柔じゅう軟なんさが必ひつ要ようです。

A plan needs flexibility.