(さか)

さか
noun
slope, hill
1. slope, hill, incline
A surface of ground that is not flat, especially one that goes up or down.
この(さか)(きゅう)だ。
This slope is steep.
(さか)(のぼ)って学校(がっこう)()く。
I go up the hill to school.
(さか)(くだ)ると(えき)がある。
If you go down the slope, there's a station.
この(あた)りには(さか)(おお)いので、自転車(じてんしゃ)では大変(たいへん)だ。
There are many hills in this area, so it's tough by bicycle.
毎朝(まいあさ)この(なが)(さか)(のぼ)って会社(かいしゃ)()くのは大変(たいへん)だけど、健康(けんこう)にいいと(おも)う。
It's tough to go up this long hill every morning to get to work, but I think it's good for my health.

(さか) refers to a sloping street or hillside path.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • (さか)(のぼ)る: to go up a hill
  • (さか)(くだ)る/()りる: to go down a hill
  • (きゅう)(さか): steep slope
  • 坂道(さかみち): sloping road, hill road

IN PLACE NAMES:

(さか) appears in many famous Japanese place names:

  • 赤坂(あかさか): Akasaka (Tokyo)
  • 道玄坂(どうげんざか): Dogenzaka (Shibuya)
  • 乃木坂(のぎざか): Nogizaka

RELATED WORDS:

  • (おか): hill (landform)
  • 斜面(しゃめん): slope (general term)
  • (くだ)(ざか): downhill slope