さる

also: しかる

さ

る

JLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

pre-noun adjectival

a certain; a particular

usually written using kana alone

Only with reading さる

Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) meaning 'a certain' or 'a particular', used to refer to something specific but not named. Restricted to the reading さる. Usually written in kana.

さる筋すじからの情じょう報ほうによると、会かい議ぎは延えん期きされたそうだ。
According to information from a certain source, the meeting has been postponed.

pre-noun adjectival

such a; that kind of

usually written using kana alone

Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) meaning 'such a' or 'that kind of'. The reading しかる is archaic and rarely used in modern Japanese; さる is the common reading for this sense as well.

さる事じ情じょうがあって、彼かれは欠けっ席せきした。
Due to certain circumstances, he was absent.

See all 20 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

然さる〈事こと〉でfor a certain (unspecified) reason/circumstance
彼かれは然さる事じ情じょうで会かい社しゃを辞やめた。
He quit the company for certain (unspecified) reasons.
然さる〈人ひと〉a certain (unnamed but notable) person
然さる人じん物ぶつからの情じょう報ほうによると、計けい画かくは変へん更こうされた。
According to information from a certain person, the plan was changed.
然さる〈場ば所しょ〉でat a certain (unspecified) place
会かい議ぎは然さる場ば所しょで行おこなわれた。
The meeting was held at a certain place.

Expressions

然さる者ものformidable person; someone not to be taken lightly · a certain person; someone (unnamed) · that sort of person; such a person

Kanji

然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

あるN5sense 1
然る is a formal, literary way to say 'a certain' before a noun, while ある is the everyday verb-derived form used the same way but with a plainer register.
とある sense 1
とある is a casual, common pre-noun word for 'a certain', whereas 然る sounds stiffer and more literary.

Don't confuse with

去さるN3
然る (さる, 'a certain') and 去る (さる, 'to leave/past') share the same reading but are completely unrelated in meaning and part of speech.
しかるN4sense 2
然る can archaically be read しかる ('such a'), which is easily confused by sound with 叱る (しかる, 'to scold'), a common verb with a totally different meaning.

Written forms

然る
- さる
  Kanji form is rare; the word is usually written in kana. Included for recognition in older texts.
- しかる
さるUsage100%
Standard modern spelling for the reading さる, used as a pre-noun adjectival.
しかる
Archaic reading; may appear in classical or highly formal contexts. Not used in modern Japanese.

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese verb 然り (さり), meaning 'to be so'. The pre-noun adjectival form さる developed from the attributive form of さり. The reading しかる is the attributive form of the classical verb 然り (しかり), which is now archaic.