Posted inN4 Grammar

Unlock the Power of 〜さ: Turning Adjectives into Nouns

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

A suffix attached primarily to adjectives (and sometimes nouns) to create a noun that represents the quality, state, or degree of that adjective/noun.

🎯 Primary Function

To nominalize adjectives (and some nouns) to talk about their inherent characteristic or a specific measurement of that characteristic.

📋 Grammar Structure

い-adjective stem + さ な-adjective stem + さ (often drop the な) Noun + さ (less common)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in formal writing and speech, especially when discussing objective measurements or abstract qualities.

😊 Informal Situations

Used naturally and frequently in everyday conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written Japanese.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Expressing objective measurements (length, height, weight, etc.)
Used with adjectives related to physical properties to create nouns for measurement.
Example: 長さ (nagasa) – length, 高さ (takasa) – height, 重さ (omosa) – weight
Expressing subjective qualities or feelings
Used with adjectives describing feelings or abstract qualities to create nouns for those states.
Example: 楽しさ (tanoshisa) – fun/enjoyment, 悲しさ (kanashisa) – sadness, 大切さ (taisetsusa) – importance
Making an adjective the subject or object of a sentence
Allows you to treat the quality itself as a noun.
Example: この荷物の重さはどのくらいですか？ (Kono nimotsu no omosa wa donokurai desu ka?) – How much is the weight of this luggage?
📊
Frequency
Very frequent. It is a fundamental noun-forming suffix.
🎚️
Difficulty
Easy/Intermediate for N4.
Example Sentences
富士山の高さは約3776メートルです。
Mt. Fuji’s height is about 3776 meters.
この部屋の広さは十分です。
The spaciousness (size) of this room is sufficient.
旅行の楽しさが忘れられません。
I can’t forget the enjoyment of the trip.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Always creates a noun
When you attach 〜さ, the resulting word is a noun and can be used with particles like が, は, を, の, etc.
Example: 楽しさ が 伝わる (tanoshisa ga tsutawaru) – The enjoyment is conveyed.
Attaches to adjective stem
For い-adjectives, remove the final い. For な-adjectives, remove the な.
Example: 高い (takai) -> 高さ (takasa), 静か (shizuka) -> 静かさ (shizukasa)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Attaching to verbs
✅ 〜さ only attaches to adjectives and some nouns.
You cannot attach 〜さ directly to a verb base.
❌ undefined
✅ undefined
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness depends on the surrounding sentence structure.
Social Situations: Used in a wide variety of social situations.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in its usage or meaning.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜さ vs 〜み
〜さ often indicates a more objective, measurable, or general quality. 〜み often indicates a more subjective, sensory, or internal feeling/quality.
When to use: Use 〜さ for objective measurements (長さ, 重さ) or general qualities (楽しさ, 難しさ). Use 〜み for subjective feelings/sensations (暖かみ – warmth, 苦み – bitterness, 深み – depth (often abstract)). There are exceptions and overlaps, but this is a general guideline.
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When to use: undefined
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

Simply remove the final い from い-adjectives or the な from な-adjectives (or add directly to the noun/na-adjective stem) and add 〜さ.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced simply as “sa”. The pitch accent might vary slightly depending on the base word, but the suffix itself is straightforward.

🧠 Memory Tips

Associate 〜さ with “-ness” or “-ty” in English, turning adjectives into nouns. Think of quantifiable or general qualities.

Practice Exercises
次の文の（　　）に入る最も適切な言葉を選びなさい。 この川の（　　）を測りましょう。
長いさ
長さ
長さみ
長くさ
「楽しい」を名詞に変えなさい。
楽しさ
楽しいさ
楽しみ
楽し
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