砂さ漠ばく

さ

ば

く

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

desert

A dry, barren region such as the Sahara Desert; used both as a common noun and in proper names like サハラ砂漠.

この地ち域いきには広ひろい砂さ漠ばくがある。
There is a vast desert in this region.
サハラ砂さ漠ばくは世せ界かい最さい大だい級きゅうの砂さ漠ばくだ。
The Sahara Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world.

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Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉が砂さ漠ばくになるfor a place to turn into desert
森しん林りんが伐ばっ採さいされて、その土と地ちは砂さ漠ばくになった。
After the forest was cut down, the land turned into a desert.
砂さ漠ばくを横おう断だんするto cross a desert
探たん検けん隊たいはラクダで砂さ漠ばくを横おう断だんした。
The expedition crossed the desert by camel.
砂さ漠ばくに住すむto live in the desert
遊ゆう牧ぼく民みんは昔むかしからこの砂さ漠ばくに住すんでいる。
The nomads have lived in this desert for generations.

Kanji

砂sand
漠vague, obscure, desert
沙sand

Related words

荒こう野や
荒野 refers broadly to any barren wasteland, while 砂漠 specifically denotes a dry, sandy region like the Sahara.

Don't confuse with

砂さ丘きゅう
砂丘 means a sand dune, a single hill of sand often found within a 砂漠, whereas 砂漠 refers to the whole arid region.
砂さ漠ばく化かN2
砂漠 is the noun for an existing desert (a place), while 砂漠化 is the process by which land turns into desert.
砂すなN4
砂 means the sand itself, while 砂漠 means a desert, a large sandy landscape.

Word family

砂さ漠ばく化かN2
desertification
砂さ漠ばく気き候こう
desert climate; arid climate

Written forms

砂さ漠ばくUsage91%
Standard and common spelling for “desert.”
沙さ漠ばくUsage7%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji variant given; 砂漠 is the normal modern spelling.
さばくUsage2%
サバクUsage1%

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound written with 砂 “sand” and 漠, a character associated with broad, indistinct expanses. The rare variant 沙漠 uses 沙, another character meaning “sand.”