minimachi

HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

さ (sa) in hiragana

Sa in hiragana is さ: one bar on top (き has two); ち is nearly its mirror image.

Reading
sa
Type
sa
Katakana
サ
Strokes
3
With dakuten
ざ za
Audio
see listening section
On this page

How さ is written, and why it is not き or ち.

The full model: 3 strokes, numbered in order.

start end

Not to be confused with
き · kiTwo bars across the top.ち · chiOne line leans left, then bulges out to the right.

Memory hook: Picture one crossbar with a line slanting down to the right through it, and a separate little smile underneath. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write さ: stroke order

Is さ 2 or 3 strokes? Three, when you write it. Many printed fonts join the lower curve to the slant, so it can look like two.

Shape: Taller than wide, roughly a diamond: a long top line, a slant through it, and a small separate curve at the bottom.

In this model, strokes 1 and 3 stop and stroke 2 ends in a hook. Japanese schools name three kinds of ending: Stop とめ, Hook はね, Sweep はらい. Textbooks and teachers differ on some.

  1. Stroke 1Stop とめ

    Starts far left of the vertical center line, above the horizontal one. A long line rising to the right, across the vertical center line, ending right of it near the top.

  2. Stroke 2Hook はね

    Starts left of the vertical center line, near the top, above stroke 1. A long slant down to the right, through stroke 1 at nearly a right angle on the center line; at the bottom, turn back sharply and flick up to the left.

  3. Stroke 3Stop とめ

    A separate stroke. Starts left of the vertical center line, near the bottom, under the left part of stroke 1. A shallow curve like a small bowl, its lowest point on the center line, ending a little short of where stroke 2 turned back.

One mistake to avoid: strokes 1 and 2

Watch for
Stroke 2 crosses stroke 1 at a shallow, slanting angle.
Fix
Cross nearly at a right angle, as in the model: stroke 2 comes down steeply through stroke 1, on the vertical center line.
Practice writingMake a writing sheetSee it on the stroke-order chart

Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

READ IT

Read さ in print and in words.

さ in handwriting and three typefaces

  • Handwriting model
  • Textbook style
  • Print, plain (gothic)
  • Print, serif (mincho)

Many printed fonts join さ’s lower curve to the slant, as they do with き; it is still one bar and a slant to the right. Copy the handwriting model, with the curve separate.

Find さ inside a word.

  • kasaumbrellaUp to the S row
  • kesathis morningUp to the S row
  • sakanafish
  • yasaivegetable

“Up to the S row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the S row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.

In everyday writing these words use kanji (かさ is 傘, けさ 今朝, さかな 魚, やさい 野菜); here they are in hiragana for reading practice.

Read more words with さ

TELL THEM APART

さ, き or ち?

さ · saOne bar across the top; the slant leans right and turns back, with a separate curve below.
き · kiTwo bars across the top.
ち · chiOne line leans left, then bulges out to the right.

Count the bars across the top: さ has one, き has two. Then look at the lower half: ち’s long line bulges out to the right; さ’s slant runs down to the right, and the curve under it opens to the right, even where print joins them.

Open the guide for ki (き)Open the guide for chi (ち)

A quick check

Four models, handwritten and printed: さ, き or ち? Only your first answer to each model counts.

WITH DAKUTEN

ざ (za): さ with dakuten.

さ · sa
ざ · za

Two short marks, called dakuten, change sa to za. They sit in the upper right corner, above and to the right of the end of stroke 1; write them last, the left one first. You meet ざ early, in ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu), “Thank you.”

Type za.

  • zasshi · magazine The small っ doubles the next sound: zasshi.
  • zabuton · floor cushion

Practice sa and za together

All the marked forms, and small kana

YOUR NEXT STEP

Practice さ with き and ち.

A short round of さ, き and ち, the shapes this page compares.

Practice さ, き and ちFlip them as flash cards

Practice the whole S row: さ し す せ そIt includes し, す, せ and そ, which this page does not teach.

Learn さ with its group in lesson 3 · Try it on the hiragana keyboard

Sources, artwork and review status

Teaching content on this page is a draft: a Japanese educator has not reviewed it yet. Generated pronunciation audio is available in the listening section.

Stroke models and drawings: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

Two typefaces are served from this site: Klee One and Noto Serif JP (SIL Open Font License). The gothic sample uses this device’s own font.

Draft teaching content · Japanese educator review pending · Approved generated audio is available in the listening section; romaji is a reading aid, not a pronunciation guide.

minimachi · HIRAGANA CHARACTER CARD

さ · sa

Sa in hiragana is さ: one bar on top (き has two); ち is nearly its mirror image.

Writing model
1
2
3

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts far left, above the middle; a long line rising to the right. — stop (とめ)
  2. Starts left of center, at the top; down right through 1, then flicks left. — hook (はね)
  3. A separate stroke: starts low left; a shallow bowl that curves right. — stop (とめ)

Watch for: Stroke 2 crosses stroke 1 at a shallow, slanting angle. Fix: Cross nearly at a right angle, as in the model: stroke 2 comes down steeply through stroke 1, on the vertical center line.

かさ · kasa · umbrellaけさ · kesa · this morningさかな · sakana · fish

Trace, copy, then cover the model and write from memory.

Stroke model: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0 · kanjivg.tagaini.net · license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Draft teaching content; Japanese educator review pending. Generated audio: see full guide.
Full guide and sources: minimachi.com/hiragana/sa/

Listen to the sounds and examples on this page

Generated speech: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. Checked by a native Japanese speaker. Audio is available only for items with a Listen button. Listen plays at normal speed; Slow gives more listening time at the original pitch. Sound hints are drafts pending educator review.

Kana sounds

  • さ sa

Example words

  • かさ umbrella
  • やさい vegetable
  • ざっし magazine
  • けさ this morning
  • さかな fish