砂
suna[sɨna̠]
The Japanese word for sand is 砂 (suna).
砂 refers to the substance of finely ground rock. When describing children playing in a sandbox or on a beach, the term 砂遊び is commonly used. For a specific location like a sandy beach, the word 砂浜 is used instead of just referring to the substance.
Meaning: finely ground rock (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 砂 refers to the substance itself, 砂浜 is the specific term used for a sandy beach.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
suna
Did you know?
- Traditional Japanese gardens often use raked 砂 to represent water in a 'dry landscape' style called 枯山水, where ripples in the sand mimic ocean waves.
- In the ancient text 'Kojiki', a deity associated with mud and soil has a name, 須比智邇神, that is thought to be related to the roots of the word for sand.
- In some contexts, 砂 is used in the word 砂時計 for an hourglass, emphasizing the flow of time through the physical movement of grains.
Examples in context
- 靴に砂が入ってる。There's sand in my shoes.This sentence shows how to mention sand getting into your shoes using 砂.Tatoeba #13863225 by small_snow, translation #11115386 by DJ_Saidez
- 目に砂が入りました。I got some sand in my eye.This sentence demonstrates the use of 砂 when sand gets into your eye.Tatoeba #79972 by bunbuku, translation #323745 by Zifre
- 砂の上に寝転がろうよ。Let's lie on the sand.This sentence illustrates a suggestion to lie down on the sand using 砂.Tatoeba #8892096 by bunbuku, translation #2985591 by sharptoothed
- 広い砂浜で砂城を作りました。I built a sandcastle on a wide sandy beach.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking along a beach.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの砂はとても白いね。Kono suna wa totemo shiroi ne.This sand is very white, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yui本当だ。すごく綺麗だよ。Hontou da. Sugoku kirei da yo.It really is. It's so beautiful.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、もっと奥まで歩こう。Yui, motto oku made arukou.Yui, let's walk further in.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、大翔、待って！Un, Hiroto, matte!Okay, Hiroto, wait for me!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sand” translations and entries 砂, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 砂, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
