す

See also: ず

す	U+3059, す HIRAGANA LETTER SU

← じ
[U+3058]

Hiragana

ず →
[U+305A]

Japanese

Stroke order

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 寸 in the cursive sōsho style.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [sɨᵝ]

During the period from Old through Early Middle Japanese, the pronunciation may have ranged between /su/ and /ɕu/. There are some man'yōgana spellings that use 周, deriving from Middle Chinese 周 (MC t͡ɕɨu).

Syllable

す (romaji su)

The hiragana syllable す (su). Its equivalent in katakana is ス (su). It is the thirteenth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is さ行う段 (sa-gyō u-dan, “row sa, section u”).

Derived terms

ず (zu)

Etymology 2

Alternative spellings
巣栖窼

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712,[1] and included in the Man'yōshū with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling 須 (su).[2]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) す [súꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[3][4][5]
(Tokyo) す [sù] (Heiban – [0])[3][4][5]
IPA^(key): [sɨᵝ]

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)^?}

nest, hive, den
クモの巣(す)
kumo no su
spider's web
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 5, poem 892)
  可麻度柔播(かまどには)／火氣布伎多弖受(かきふきたてず)／許之伎尓波(こしきには)／久毛能(くもの)須(す)可伎弖(かきて)... [Man'yōgana]
  竃(かまど)には／火気(かき)吹(ふ)き立(た)てず／甑(こしき)には／蜘蛛(くも)の巣(す)かきて... [Modern spelling]
  kamado ni pa / kaki pukitatezu / kosiki ni pa / kumo no su kakite...
  without blowing on the embers in the woodstove, and with cobwebs in the steamer...

Etymology 3

Alternative spellings
酢醋酸

Unknown.

Perhaps a native Japanese term, with the su reading somehow related to the way that very sour things cause one to pucker.
Alternatively, from Middle Chinese 醋 (MC t͡sʰuo^H). Borrowed earlier (vinegar was historically introduced to Japan in the 300-400s from China) than the systematic introduction of kanji, thus later mistaken as a native Japanese term. Compare modern Mandarin 醋 (cù) or Cantonese 醋 (cou³).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) す [súꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[3][4][5]
IPA^(key): [sɨᵝ]

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)^?}

vinegar (condiment)
バルサミコ酢(す)
barusamiko-su
balsamic vinegar

Derived terms

酸(す)っぱい (suppai): sour
酸(す)い (sui): sour
酸(す)し (sushi): sour (archaic)
鮨(すし) (sushi), 鮓(すし) (sushi), 寿(す)司(し) (sushi): sushi
酢(す)豚(ぶた) (subuta): sweet-and-sour pork

Idioms

酢(す)が過(す)ぎる (su ga sugiru): “vinegar is excessive, too much vinegar” → doing too much, being excessive
酢(す)でさいて飲(の)む (su de saite nomu): “cutting something with vinegar and swallowing it down” → in reference with the ease of cutting a fish, dipping it in vinegar, and eating it: doing something very simple
酢(す)でも酒塩(さかしお)でも (su de mo sakashio de mo), 酢(す)でも蒟蒻(こんにゃく)でも (su de mo konnyaku de mo): (used with a negative verb): “by vinegar or by cooking wine”, “by vinegar or by konjac” → something that cannot be done in the usual fashion, or cannot be done easily
酢(す)に当(あ)て粉(こ)に当(あ)て (su ni ate ko ni ate), 酢(す)につけ粉(こ)につけ (su ni tsuke ko ni tsuke): “with regard to vinegar and flour”, “about vinegar and flour” → about something, about various things; from time to time
酢(す)にも粉(こ)にも (su ni mo ko ni mo), 酢(す)にも塩(しお)にも (su ni mo shio ni mo), 酢(す)にも蛸(たこ)にも (su ni mo tako ni mo), 酢(す)にも味噌(みそ)にも (su ni mo miso ni mo): “about/in vinegar and flour”, “about/in vinegar and salt”, “about/in vinegar and octopus”, “about/in vinegar and miso” → about anything, in anything
酢(す)の粉(こ)の (su no ko no), 酢(す)の蒟蒻(こんにゃく)の (su no konnyaku no): “of vinegar, of flour”, “of vinegar, of konjac” → of anything, belonging to anything
酢(す)を買(か)う (su o kau), 酢(す)を乞(こ)う (su o kou): “to buy vinegar”, “to beg vinegar” → to lose goodwill through excessive sycophancy, to anger someone by saying more than one should; to agitate or instigate, to stir things up

Synonyms

ビネガー (binegā)

Etymology 4

Alternative spellings
州洲

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) す [sù] (Heiban – [0])[3]
(Tokyo) す [súꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[3]
IPA^(key): [sɨᵝ]

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)^?}

sandbank, sandbar

Etymology 5

Alternative spelling
為

From Old Japanese.

Verb

す • (su)

(archaic) to do
(archaic) to cause, become

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	せ	se
Continuative (連用形)	し	si
Terminal (終止形)	す	su
Attributive (連体形)	する	suru
Realis (已然形)	すれ	sure
Imperative (命令形)	せよ	seyo
Key constructions
Negative	せず	sezu
Contrasting conjunction	すれど	suredo
Causal conjunction	すれば	sureba
Conditional conjunction	せば	seba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	しき	siki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	しけり	sikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	しつ	situ
Perfect tense (natural event)	しぬ	sinu
Perfect-continuative tense	せりしたり	seri sitari
Volitional	せむ	semu

Derived terms

する (suru, modern form)
為為(すす) (susu)

Etymology 6

The original form of the causative ending. Ultimately cognate with す (su), the ancient form of modern する (suru, “to do”).

In a modern synchronic analysis, sometimes analyzed as a contraction of せる (seru).

Suffix

す • (-su) godan (stem し (-shi), past した (-shita))

(chiefly dialectal and colloquial) Alternative form of せる (seru, “causative suffix”)

Conjugation

Conjugation of "す" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	-さ	-sa
Continuative (連用形)	-し	-shi
Terminal (終止形)	-す	-su
Attributive (連体形)	-す	-su
Hypothetical (仮定形)	-せ	-se
Imperative (命令形)	-せ	-se
Key constructions
Passive	-	-
Causative	-	-
Potential	-	-
Volitional	-そう	-sō
Negative	-さない	-sanai
Negative continuative	-さず	-sazu
Formal	-します	-shimasu
Perfective	-した	-shita
Conjunctive	-して	-shite
Hypothetical conditional	-せば	-seba

References

“巣・栖・窼”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 5, poem 892), text available online here
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

す (su)

to do
to happen, occur
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 15, poem 3624)
  和礼乃未夜欲布祢波許具登於毛敞礼婆於伎敞能可多爾可治能於等須奈里
  ware no₂mi₂ ya yo₁pune pa ko₂gu to₂ omope₁reba oki₁pe₁ no₂ kata ni kadi no₂ oto₂ su nari
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
to be in a state of something
This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
- 711–712, Kojiki (20)
  佐韋賀波用久毛多知和多理宇泥備夜麻許能波佐夜芸奴加是布加牟登須
  Sawi-gapa yo₁ kumo₁ tatiwatari Unebi₂-yama ko₂no₂pa sayagi₁nu kaze pukamu to₂ su
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	せ	se
Continuative (連用形)	し	si
Terminal (終止形)	す	su
Attributive (連体形)	する	suru
Realis (已然形)	すれ	sure
Imperative (命令形)	せよ	seyo
Key constructions
Negative	せず	sezu
Contrasting conjunction	すれど	suredo
Causal conjunction	すれば	sureba
Conditional conjunction	せば	seba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	しき	siki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	しけり	sikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	しつ	situ
Perfect tense (natural event)	しぬ	sinu
Perfect-continuative tense	せりしたり	seri sitari
Volitional	せむ	semu

Descendants

Japanese: す (su) → する (suru)
- Kagoshima dialect: すっ (su')

Etymology 2

Attaches to 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) of 四段活用 (yodan katsuyō, “quadrigrade conjugation”) and サ行変格活用 (sa-gyō henkaku katsuyō, “s-irregular conjugation”) verbs.

Verb

す (-su)

indicates light respect and slight affection
- 711–712, Kojiki (poem 2)
  ...佐加志賣遠阿理登岐加志弖久波志賣遠阿理登伎許志弖佐用婆比爾阿理多多斯用婆比阿理加用婆勢...
  ...sakasi me₁ wo ari to₂ ki₁kasite kupasi me₁ wo ari to₂ ki₁ko₂site sa-yo₁bapi₁ ni ari tatasi yo₁bapi₁ ni ari kayo₁pase
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 1, poem 1)
  ...此岳尓菜採須兒家吉閑名告紗根...
  ...ko₂no₂ woka ni na tumasu ko₁ ipe₁ ki₁kana no₂rasane...
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	さ	sa
Continuative (連用形)	し	si
Terminal (終止形)	す	su
Attributive (連体形)	す	su
Realis (已然形)	せ	se
Imperative (命令形)	せ	se
Key constructions
Negative	さず	sazu
Contrasting conjunction	せど	sedo
Causal conjunction	せば	seba
Conditional conjunction	さば	saba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	しき	siki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	しけり	sikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	しつ	situ
Perfect tense (natural event)	しぬ	sinu
Perfect-continuative tense	せりしたり	seri sitari
Volitional	さむ	samu

Etymology 3

Possibly cognate with modern Korean 새 (sae, “bird”).

Suffix

す (-su)

representing birds

Derived terms

鶯 (ugupi₁su)
烏 (karasu)
ほととぎす (poto₂to₂gi₁su)
もず (mo₁zu)

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[KDJ2-1] “巣・栖・窼”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[MYS-2] . 759, Man'yōshū (book 5, poem 892), text available online here

[DJR-3] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-4] 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-5] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN