坂さか

さ

か

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

noun

slope; incline; hill

General term for a sloping surface, incline, or hill. Can refer to natural or man-made slopes.

この坂さかを上のぼると、駅えきに着つきます。
If you go up this slope, you'll reach the station.
自じ転てん車しゃで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.

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).

彼かれもとうとう60の坂さかを越こえた。
He has finally passed the milestone of 60.

See all 101 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の坂さかを上のぼるto climb up a slope
毎まい朝あさ、駅えきまでの坂さかを上のぼって通つう勤きんしている。
Every morning I climb the slope to the station on my way to work.
〈数かず〉の坂さかを越こえるto pass a milestone age
父ちちは去きょ年ねん60の坂さかを越こえた。
My father passed the milestone of 60 last year.
坂さかを下くだるto go down a slope
自じ転てん車しゃで坂さかを下くだるのは気き持もちがいい。
Going down the slope on a bike feels great.

Expressions

急きゅうな坂さかsteep slope; sudden drop; precipitous incline
坂さかを下おりるgo downhill; go down a slope
口くちでは大おお阪さかの城しろも建たつtalk is cheap; easier said than done

Kanji

坂slope, incline, hill
阪heights, slope

Related words

丘おかN3sense 1
丘 refers to a hill as a geographical feature, while 坂 emphasizes the slope or incline of a road or path.
傾けい斜しゃN1sense 1
傾斜 is a technical term for the gradient or inclination of a surface, whereas 坂 is the everyday word for a sloped road or path.
坂さか道みち
坂 is a general word for a slope or hill, while 坂道 specifically means the road or path that goes up or down that slope.
斜しゃ面めんN1
坂 is the everyday word for a hill or slope, especially roads and paths, while 斜面 is a more technical term for any inclined surface, natural or man-made.
スロープ
坂 is the native Japanese word for a hill or road incline, often natural or long, while スロープ usually refers to a shorter, deliberately built ramp.

Don't confuse with

阪はん sense 1
阪 looks similar to 坂 and shares the reading さか in place names like 大阪, but 阪 is used almost exclusively in proper nouns, while 坂 is the general word for a slope.
勾こう配ばいN1
坂 names the physical hill or sloped road itself, while 勾配 names the numerical steepness or gradient of such a slope.

Word family· 8

坂さか道みち
hill road; slope; incline
下くだり坂ざか
downhill; downward slope; descent · decline; waning; ebb; going downhill
下しも坂さか
downhill; decline; waning
女おんな坂ざか
gentler path to a shrine/temple
男おとこ坂ざか
steeper path to a shrine or temple

Show 3 more

上のぼり坂ざか
ascent; uphill slope · upturn; increase; upward trend
サカタザメ
yellow guitarfish
だらだら坂ざか
long gentle slope

Written forms

坂さかUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling for 'slope' or 'hill'. High priority.
阪さかUsage3%
Variant kanji, mostly seen in proper nouns (e.g. 大阪) or older texts. Not common for general 'slope' usage.

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.