差
差 — Distinction
distinction, difference, variation, discrepancy, margin, balance
On’yomiサ (sa)
Kun’yomiさす (sasu)
Kun’yomiさし (sashi)
Stroke order (10 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 差
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 差 | さ sa | difference; variation; difference |
| 格差 | かくさ kakusa | qualitative difference; disparity; gap |
| 差別 | さべつ sabetsu | distinction; differentiation; discrimination |
| 差益 | さえき saeki | marginal profits |
| 偏差値 | へんさち hensachi | deviation value (usu. scaled to mean of 50, standard deviation of 10, and often used for academic grades); deviation; T-score |
| 差し止め | さしとめ sashitome | prohibition; ban; suspension |
Study notes
差 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 10 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 4), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #449 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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