砂漠(さばく)

砂漠(さばく) refers to a vast, arid region with little rainfall and sparse vegetation. Japan has almost no desert landscape (the famous sands of Tottori are a 砂丘(さきゅう), dunes), so this word is mainly encountered in geography, news about foreign countries, and figurative expressions.

Etymology

砂(さ) (sand) + 漠(ばく) (vague, vast).

Common collocations

• サハラ砂漠(さばく): Sahara Desert
• 砂漠化(さばくか): desertification
• 砂漠(さばく)の中(なか): in the middle of the desert
• 砂漠(さばく)地帯(ちたい): desert zone/region

Usage

Sometimes used metaphorically to describe emptiness or barrenness: 心(こころ)の砂漠(さばく) (emotional wasteland), 文化(ぶんか)の砂漠(さばく) (cultural desert).

Watch out

Do not confuse with the verb 裁(さば)く (to judge), which shares the same reading but has different kanji and meaning.