沙
Characters in this entry
- 沙
- shā · sand, gravel, pebbles; granulated
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
1 · sha1
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
Sentences in context
Exact source-spelling matches. Open the reader for dictionary lookups, construction notes and related examples. Occurrence does not establish a particular dictionary sense.
Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
saa1
Cantonese word readings for 沙. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- sand (Classifier: 粒 c mn)
- (usually used in place names) shoal
- something granular
- mushy and rough (as sand), texture of a watermelon of good quality.
- (of a voice) hoarse; husky
- (obsolete) the number 10⁻⁸
- (abbreviation, alt-of) short for 沙皇 (shāhuáng)
- (Malaysia, Singapore) short for 沙巴 (Shābā, “Sabah”)
- (Mainland China) short for 沙特阿拉伯 (Shātè Ālābó, “Saudi Arabia”)
- (Hong Kong) short for 沙田 (shātián, “Sha Tin”)
- a surname
- (Hong Kong) short for 長沙灣／长沙湾 (Chángshāwān, “Cheung Sha Wan”)
character · Etymology 2
- (dialectal) to shake in order to gather impurities to be removed
character · Etymology 3
- (alt. form 娑) to twirl; to whirl
- (alt. form 挲) to fondle; to caress
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
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