Japanese symbol for “sand”
砂
すな
Romaji: suna
sand; grit; fine gravel
In Japanese, sand is 砂, read すな (suna).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n sand; grit; fine gravel
Written forms: 砂、沙、砂子. Readings: すな、いさご.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sand”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真砂 | まさご masago | sand; fine sand |
| サンド | サンド sando | sand |
| 砂子 | すなご sunago | sand; grit |
| 砂土 | さど sado | sand |
| 砂色 | すないろ sunairo | sand (color) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 砂糖 | さとう satou | sugar |
| 砂漠 | さばく sabaku | desert |
| 砂浜 | すなはま sunahama | sandy beach |
| 土砂 | どしゃ dosha | sediment; earth and sand |
| 砂丘 | さきゅう sakyuu | sand dune; sand hill |
| 土砂降り | どしゃぶり doshaburi | downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sand”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.