noun
sand dune; sand hill
Refers to a hill or ridge of sand formed by wind, typically in deserts or coastal areas.
鳥取砂丘は日本で有名な観光地です。
The Tottori Sand Dunes are a famous tourist spot in Japan.
砂漠には大きな砂丘がいくつも連なっている。
In the desert, many large sand dunes stretch in rows.
Irregular kanji variant; 沙 is an older form of 砂. Rarely used in modern Japanese.
砂漠 means 'desert', a large arid region, while 砂丘 specifically refers to sand dunes within such areas.
Compound of 砂 (sand) and 丘 (hill). The reading さきゅう is the standard on'yomi. The variant しゃきゅう is a less common reading of the same characters.