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Kotomora

紗

gauze, gossamer

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōStrokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • サ
  • シャ

Kun'yomi

  • うすぎぬ

Nanori

  • たえ
  • すず

Meaning

紗 centers on thin, delicate woven fabric: gauze or gossamer, emphasizing lightness and transparency.

Most common words using 紗

  • 紗しゃ

    (silk) gauze

  • 羅紗ラシャ

    felt; woollen cloth

  • 更紗サラサ

    chintz; calico; printed cotton

  • 古帛紗こぶくさ

    kobukusa (type of high-quality silk wrapper used in tea ceremony)

  • 寒冷紗かんれいしゃ

    cheesecloth

  • 掛け袱紗かけぶくさ

    crape wrapper

  • 更紗満天星さらさどうだん

    redvein enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus)

  • 更紗羽太さらさはた

    humpback grouper (Chromileptes altivelis); panther grouper

  • 玉羅紗たまらしゃ

    type of woolen fabric, esp. used for overcoats

  • 精進袱紗しょうじんぶくさ

    cloth used as a gift for ceremonies

  • 紗のようしゃのよう

    gauzy

  • 紗幕しゃまく

    scrim; gauze curtain

  • 紗綾形さやがた

    sayagata (pattern of interlocking swastikas)

  • 薄紗はくさ

    delicate gauze; gossamer

  • 袱紗ふくさ

    small silk wrapper; small cloth for wiping tea utensils; crepe wrapper

  • 金紗きんしゃ

    silk crepe

  • 金紗縮緬きんしゃちりめん

    silk crepe

Explore all words using 紗 →

Study

Etymology

紗 combines 糸 (thread) with 少, which likely contributes the sound and possibly the idea of something fine or slight, reflecting the thinness of gauze.

Meaning mnemonic

The thread radical 糸 beside 少 (few, little) suggests fabric made with very little thread, resulting in a light, see-through gauze.

Reading mnemonic

For サ, picture a delicate gauze fabric so thin it looks like a sigh: sigh -> サ, and the fabric is as light as a breath.