差(さ)

さ

noun / suffix

difference, gap, margin

1. difference, gap

The amount by which things differ.

年齢(ねんれい)の差(さ)は10歳(さい)だ。

The age difference is 10 years.

1点(てん)差(さ)で負(ま)けた。

We lost by one point.

貧富(ひんぷ)の差(さ)が広(ひろ)がっている。

The gap between rich and poor is widening.

2. (suffix) degree of, extent of

Added to adjective stems to express degree.

この高(たか)さは何(なん)メートルですか。

How many meters is this height?

[Note: Suffix さ = degree of height]

海(うみ)の深(ふか)さに驚(おどろ)いた。

I was surprised by the depth of the ocean.

[Note: Suffix さ = degree of depth]

この問題(もんだい)の難(むずか)しさは、実際(じっさい)にやってみないと分(わ)からない。見(み)た目(め)ほど簡単(かんたん)ではない。

You won't understand the difficulty of this problem until you actually try it. It's not as easy as it looks.

[Note: Suffix さ = degree of difficulty]

差(さ) expresses difference or, as a suffix, degree.

AS 'DIFFERENCE':

年齢(ねんれい)差(さ) (age difference)
個人(こじん)差(さ) (individual differences)
時間(じかん)差(さ) (time difference)
価格(かかく)差(さ) (price difference)
貧富(ひんぷ)の差(さ) (gap between rich and poor)

AS SUFFIX (〜さ):

高(たか)さ (height - from 高(たか)い)
広(ひろ)さ (width - from 広(ひろ)い)
美(うつく)しさ (beauty - from 美(うつく)しい)
難(むずか)しさ (difficulty - from 難(むずか)しい)

COMMON PATTERNS:

差(さ)がある (there is a difference)
差(さ)をつける (to make a difference)
差(さ)が縮(ちぢ)まる (the gap narrows)

Related Words

Related: 違(ちが)い (difference, discrepancy)

general

Added 2026.1.11 17:02 · Revised 2026.5.26 2:11

02500/02771_sa