沙 shā sand
How to remember 沙: 氵 water + 少 few = sand. After the wave pulls the water back, the little boy finds only a few shells left glittering in the wet sand.
Component breakdown
沙 = 氵 water + 少 few
- 氵 water
- 少 few
After the wave pulls the water back, the little boy finds only a few shells left glittering in the wet sand.
How it came to be
Water with a few small marks beside it. Where the water runs thin the grains show on the bottom: the character is the shallows rather than a desert.
How it is used
- Means "sand." 沙子 (shāzi) sand, 沙漠 (shāmò) desert, 沙滩 (shātān) sandy beach.
- Watch 沙发 (shāfā) = sofa - a pure phonetic loan (from English "sofa"), nothing to do with sand.
- 风沙 (fēngshā) = wind-blown sand/dust, common in weather talk about northern China.
Characters built with 沙
Words with 沙
Example sentences
- 沙发很舒服。 Shāfā hěn shūfu.The sofa is quite comfortable.
- 沙漠的气候很干燥。 Shāmò de qìhòu hěn gānzào.The climate of the desert is very dry.
- 这张沙发是朱红色的。 Zhè zhāng shāfā shì zhūhóngsè de.This sofa is bright red.