さ (sa)
Pronunciation
The character さ represents the syllable 'sa', a soft 's' followed by 'a' as in 'father'. It is the first character of the さ-row. Take care not to confuse さ with き (which has an extra horizontal line) or ち (which has the curl on the opposite side).
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
さ is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a horizontal line near the top, written from left to right. Stroke 2: a long curved vertical line that crosses through the first stroke and curves to the lower left at the bottom. Stroke 3: a short detached curving stroke on the lower right that loops back to the left. The bottom curl is what visually distinguishes さ from its lookalikes.
Common Words with さ
- さきほど (sakihodo) — a short while ago / a moment ago / just now
- さびしい (sabishii) — lonely / lonesome / solitary
- さかな (sakana) — fish
- ごぶさた (gobusata) — not writing or contacting for a while / neglecting to write / long silence
- あさ (asa) — morning
- かさ (kasa) — umbrella / parasol
- くさ (kusa) — grass / weed / herb
- さか (saka) — slope / incline / hill
- さかい (sakai) — border / boundary
- さく (saku) — plan / policy / means
- ふさ (fusa) — tuft / fringe / tassel
- つばさ (tsubasa) — wing
- みさき (misaki) — cape
- くさり (kusari) — chain / chains
- さくら (sakura) — cherry tree / cherry blossom / sakura
- さむらい (samurai) — warrior / samurai
- さら (sara) — plate / dish / platter
- さる (saru) — monkey / ape / non-human primate
- むらさき (murasaki) — purple / violet
- うわさ (uwasa) — rumour / rumor / report
How to Write さ (sa) in Hiragana
The hiragana character さ is romanized as "sa" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "sa" in "saw". Example word: さくら (sakura) — cherry blossom.
Stroke Order for さ
When writing さ, follow the numbered stroke order shown in the reference character above. Japanese characters are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. Correct stroke order improves readability and writing speed.
Practice Tips
- Print this sheet on standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper
- Start by tracing the light grey guide characters in the first column
- Then practice writing さ freehand in the empty squares
- Pay attention to stroke direction and order — follow the numbered guide
- For interactive practice with animations, visit the main study page
About Hiragana
Hiragana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.