沙
Character learning workspace

shā / shà · sand, gravel, pebbles

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 沙

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

沙 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

shā

granule; hoarse; raspy

沙发shā fā ·
shà

(dialect) to sift; to sieve

Step-by-step explorer

See how 沙 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

7Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

氵Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 沙 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 沙

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

shāgranule; hoarse; raspy
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 沙 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ bù xiǎng mǎi zhè yàng de shā fā.我不想买这样的沙发。

I don't want to buy this kind of sofa.

Source: Tatoeba #400236 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ xiǎng shì zài shā mò lǐ.我想是在沙漠里。

In the desert, I think.

Source: Tatoeba #2200462 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ chī le shāzi.我吃了沙子。

I ate sand.

Source: Tatoeba #10559123 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ men zài shā tān shàng qǐ le huǒ.我们在沙滩上起了火。

We built a fire on the beach.

Source: Tatoeba #10086124 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ zuò zài shā fā shàng.我坐在沙发上。

I'm sitting on the sofa.

Source: Tatoeba #347220 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tāng mǔ zài cháng shā fā shàng shuìzháo le.汤姆在长沙发上睡着了。

Tom is asleep on the couch.

Source: Tatoeba #5585216 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 沙 in context

  1. Say shā / shà, then recall the core meaning: sand, gravel, pebbles.
  2. Write all 7 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 沙漠 (shā mò), meaning “desert”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 沙 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.