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坂 (さか) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N4 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Meanings 1
noun
slope ; incline ; hill
General term for a sloping surface, incline, or hill. Can refer to natural or man-made slopes.
急きゅう
な
坂さか
を
下くだ
る
の
は
危あぶ
ない
。
It's dangerous to go down a steep hill on a bicycle.
2
noun
milestone age ; age mark
Figurative use referring to a significant age milestone, often a round number like 60. Typically used in expressions like 60の坂 (the milestone of turning 60).
Written forms 坂さか Usage 97%
Standard kanji spelling for 'slope' or 'hill'. High priority.
阪さか Usage 3%
Variant kanji, mostly seen in proper nouns (e.g. 大阪) or older texts. Not common for general 'slope' usage.
Similar words 丘おか 丘 typically refers to a hill as a geographical feature, often smaller than a mountain. 坂 emphasizes the slope or incline itself, which can be on a road or path.
傾けい 斜しゃ 傾斜 is a more technical term for 'inclination' or 'gradient', often used in scientific or engineering contexts. 坂 is the everyday word for a slope.
Etymology The kanji 坂 is composed of 土 (earth) and 反 (oppose, return), suggesting a raised or slanted earth formation. The reading さか is native Japanese (kun'yomi). The variant 阪 is a simplified form also used in proper nouns.
