砂
sand
Readings
On'yomi
- サ
- シャ
Kun'yomi
- すな
Nanori
- いさ
- ご
Meaning
砂 centers on sand: the granular material found on beaches and in deserts.
Most common words using 砂
20 of 172- 砂糖さとうN5
sugar
- 砂すなN4
sand; grit; fine gravel
- 砂漠さばくN3
desert
- 土砂どしゃN1
sediment; earth and sand
- 砂浜すなはまN1
sandy beach
- 砂利じゃりN1
gravel; ballast; pebbles
- 土砂崩れどしゃくずれN2
landslide
- 高砂たかさご
double-lined fusilier (Pterocaesio digramma)
- 砂嵐すなあらし
sandstorm
- 砂時計すなどけい
hourglass; sandglass
- 砂場すなば
sandpit; sandbox
- 砂丘さきゅう
sand dune; sand hill
- 土砂降りどしゃぶりN1
downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain; pelting rain; cloudburst
- 黄砂こうさ
yellow sand; yellow dust; Asian dust; dust carried on high winds from Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhstan
- 砂州さす
sandbar; sandbank; shoal
- 砂子すなご
gold dust; silver dust
- 角砂糖かくざとう
cube sugar; sugar cube
- サハラ砂漠サハラさばく
Sahara Desert
- 白砂しらす
shirasu; white pumiceous soil of southern Kyushu
- 白砂はくしゃ
white sand
Study
Etymology
砂 combines 石 (stone) with 少, which likely contributes the sound and suggests smallness, giving the idea of small stone particles: sand.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is stone 石, and the right side is few/little 少. Picture a stone broken into few tiny grains: that is sand.
Reading mnemonic
For サ, imagine a sandy beach where you sit under the sun: sun -> サ, and the sand is warm beneath you.