Japanese kanji 坂: slopes and hills

The idea

坂 has seven strokes and is read さか on its own. 上り坂（のぼりざか） means an uphill slope and 下り坂（くだりざか） a downhill slope; the initial sound of さか becomes ざか in these compounds.

Examples

• この坂さかは急きゅうです。This slope is steep.
• 駅えきまで坂さかを歩あるいて上のぼります。I walk up the slope to the station.
• 坂さかをゆっくり下おりてください。Please go slowly down the slope.
• ここから上のぼり坂ざかが続つづきます。The uphill slope continues from here.
• 下くだり坂ざかで速度そくどを落おとしました。I slowed down on the downhill slope.
• 坂さかの下したに小ちいさな店みせがあります。There is a small shop at the bottom of the slope.

Watch out

坂 is a slope, not necessarily a mountain. 上り坂 and 下り坂 describe direction: do not interchange them.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 坂 in hiragana.

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   さか

   坂 is read さか: the first sentence describes a steep slope.

2. Write the reading of 上り坂 in hiragana.

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   のぼりざか

   上り坂 is read のぼりざか; the slope goes uphill and 坂 is voiced as ざか.

3. Choose the missing kanji: 下り＿（くだりざか）［坂／板］.

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   坂

   坂 completes 下り坂（くだりざか）, a downhill slope.

Use it today

Write 坂 using the linked stroke-order diagram. Read the table aloud, then describe a slope near you.