Onyomi: サ, シャ · Kunyomi: すな · Meanings: sand
Kanji for sand
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砂 is made from the stone radical 石 on the left, because sand comes from rocks and stones. On the right is 少, which means little or small. Sand is made of countless tiny pieces of stone. So stone plus small pieces became the meaning sand.
Tiny pieces of stone become sand — 砂.
Picture a big rock (石) breaking into many tiny pieces (少). Those tiny stone pieces slip through your fingers. That soft, grainy feeling is 砂 — sand.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 砂 | すな | sand, grit | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 砂糖 | さとう | sugar | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 砂漠 | さばく | desert | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 砂利 | じゃり | gravel, ballast, pebbles | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 砂浜 | すなはま | sandy beach | common Noun |
| 砂場 | すなば | sandpit, sandbox | Noun |
| 砂上 | さじょう | (built) on sand | Noun |
| 砂漠化 | さばくか | desertification | Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 砂嵐 | すなあらし | sandstorm | Noun |
| 砂埃 | すなぼこり | cloud of dust (sand, etc.) | Noun |