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 寸すん in the cursive sōsho style.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɨ]

• 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 周しゅう, deriving from Middle Chinese 周しゅう (MC tsyuw).

Syllable

す • (su) 

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

Derived terms

• ず (zu)

See also

The Hiragana script
あぁあ゙	かゕがか゚	さざさ゚	ただた゚	な	はばぱ	ま	やゃ	らら゚	わゎわ゙	んん゙
いぃい゙	きぎき゚	しじし゚	ちぢち゚	に	ひびぴ	み	𛀆	りり゚	ゐ𛅐ゐ゙
うぅゔう゚	くぐく゚	すずす゚	つっづつ゚	ぬ	ふぶぷ	む	ゆゅ	るる゚	𛄟
えぇえ゙	けゖげけ゚	せぜせ゚	てでて゚	ね	へべぺ	め	𛀁	れれ゚	ゑ𛅑ゑ゙
おぉお゙	こ𛄲ごこ゚	そぞそ゚	とどと゚	の	ほぼぽ	も	よょ	ろろ゚	を𛅒を゙
Additional symbols ーゝゞゝ゚ゟ

Etymology 2

Alternative spellings
巣す 栖 窼

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712, and included in the Man'yōshū with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling 須 (su). In turn, from Proto-Japonic *su.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)?}

1. 巣す, 栖, 窼: nest, hive, den

   クモの巣す(す)

   kumo no su

   spider's web

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 5, poem 892:

     可か麻あさ度ど柔やわ播(かまどには)／火氣かき布ぬの伎多弖受(かきふきたてず)／許もと之の伎尓波は(こしきには)／久ひさ毛げ能のう(くもの)須(す)可か伎弖(かきて)... [Man'yōgana]

     竃かまど(かまど)には／火気かき(かき)吹(ふ)き立だて(た)てず／甑こしき(こしき)には／蜘蛛くも(くも)の巣す(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
酢す 醋す 酸さん

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *su. Ultimate derivation uncertain.

• 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 醋す (MC tshuH). 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 醋す (cù) or Cantonese 醋す (cou³).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) す [súꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [sɨ]

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)?}

1. 酢す, 醋す, 酸さん: vinegar (condiment)

   バルサミコ酢す(す)

   barusamiko-su

   balsamic vinegar

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 酸さん(す)っぱい (suppai): sour
• 酸さん(す)い (sui): sour
• 酸さん(す)し (sushi): sour (archaic)
• 鮨ずし(すし) (sushi), 鮓すし(すし) (sushi), 寿ことぶき(す)司つかさ(し) (sushi): sushi
• 酢す(す)豚ぶた(ぶた) (subuta): sweet-and-sour pork

Idioms

Idioms

• 酢す(す)が過か(す)ぎる (su ga sugiru): “vinegar is excessive, too much vinegar” → doing too much, being excessive
• 酢す(す)でさいて飲いん(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(す)でも酒塩さかしお(さかしお)でも (su de mo sakashio de mo), 酢す(す)でも蒟蒻こんにゃく(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(す)に当とう(あ)て粉こな(こ)に当とう(あ)て (su ni ate ko ni ate), 酢す(す)につけ粉こな(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(す)にも粉こな(こ)にも (su ni mo ko ni mo), 酢す(す)にも塩しお(しお)にも (su ni mo shio ni mo), 酢す(す)にも蛸だこ(たこ)にも (su ni mo tako ni mo), 酢す(す)にも味噌みそ(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(す)の粉こな(こ)の (su no ko no), 酢す(す)の蒟蒻こんにゃく(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(す)を買かい(か)う (su o kau), 酢す(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
州しゅう 洲しま

From Old Japanese.

Possibly a loanword from Middle Chinese 州しゅう (MC tsyuw).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

す • (su) ^{←す (su)?}

1. 州しゅう, 洲しま: sandbank, sandbar

Etymology 5

Alternative spelling
為ため

From Old Japanese.

Verb

す • (su) 

1. (archaic) to do
2. (archaic) to cause, become

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行ぎょう変格活用へんかくかつよう, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然みぜん形がた)	せ		se
Continuative (連用形れんようけい)	し		si
Terminal (終止しゅうし形がた)	す		su
Attributive (連体れんたい形がた)	する		suru
Realis (已然いぜん形がた)	すれ		sure
Imperative (命令めいれい形がた)	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)
• 為ため為ため(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))

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

Conjugation

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

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然みぜん形がた)	-さ	-sa
Continuative (連用形れんようけい)	-し	-shi
Terminal (終止しゅうし形がた)	-す	-su
Attributive (連体れんたい形がた)	-す	-su
Hypothetical (仮定かてい形がた)	-せ	-se
Imperative (命令めいれい形がた)	-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

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行ぎょう下か二に段だん活用かつよう, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然みぜん形がた)	せ		se
Continuative (連用形れんようけい)	せ		se
Terminal (終止しゅうし形がた)	す		su
Attributive (連体れんたい形がた)	する		suru
Realis (已然いぜん形がた)	すれ		sure
Imperative (命令めいれい形がた)	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)	せき		seki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	せけり		sekeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	せつ		setu
Perfect tense (natural event)	せぬ		senu
Perfect-continuative tense	せたり		setari
Volitional	せむ		semu

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *su.

Verb

す (su)

1. to do
2. to happen, occur
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 15, poem 3624:

     和かず礼あや乃未夜よる欲よく布ぬの祢波許もと具ぐ登とう於毛敞たかし礼れい婆ばば於伎敝能可か多た爾なんじ可か治ち能のう於等須奈里

     ware no₂mi₂ ya yo₁pune pa ko₂gu to₂ omope₁reba oki₁pe₁ no₂ kata ni kadi no₂ oto₂ su nari

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. to be in a state of something
4. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
   • 711–712, Kojiki, section 20:

     佐さ韋賀波は用久ようきゅう毛げ多た知和ちわ多た理り宇泥備夜麻あさ許もと能のう波佐はざ夜や芸げい奴やつ加か是ぜ布ぬの加か牟登須

     Sawi-gapa yo₁ kumo₁ tatiwatari Unebi₂-yama ko₂no₂pa sayagi₁nu kaze pukamu to₂ su

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行ぎょう変格活用へんかくかつよう, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然みぜん形がた)	せ		se
Continuative (連用形れんようけい)	し		si
Terminal (終止しゅうし形がた)	す		su
Attributive (連体れんたい形がた)	する		suru
Realis (已然いぜん形がた)	すれ		sure
Imperative (命令めいれい形がた)	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 未然みぜん形がた (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) of 四よん段だん活用かつよう (yodan katsuyō, “quadrigrade conjugation”) and サ行ぎょう変格活用へんかくかつよう (sa-gyō henkaku katsuyō, “s-irregular conjugation”) verbs.

Verb

す (-su)

1. indicates light respect and slight affection
   • 711–712, Kojiki, poem 2:

     ...佐さ加志かし賣うれ遠とお阿おもね理り登とう岐加志こころざし弖久波は志こころざし賣うれ遠とお阿おもね理り登とう伎許志こころざし弖佐用よう婆ばば比ひ爾しか阿おもね理り多多たた斯用よう婆ばば比ひ阿おもね理加りか用よう婆ばば勢いきおい...

     ...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 quotation)

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 1, poem 1:

     ...此岳尓菜採と須兒こ家か吉きち閑名告つげ紗しゃ根ね...

     ...ko₂no₂ woka ni na tumasu ko₁ ipe₁ ki₁kana no₂rasane...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "す" (サ行ぎょう四よん段だん活用かつよう, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然みぜん形がた)	さ		sa
Continuative (連用形れんようけい)	し		si
Terminal (終止しゅうし形がた)	す		su
Attributive (連体れんたい形がた)	す		su
Realis (已然いぜん形がた)	せ		se
Imperative (命令めいれい形がた)	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)

1. representing birds

Derived terms

• 鶯うぐいす (ugupi₁su)
• 烏がらす (karasu)
• ほととぎす (poto₂to₂gi₁su)
• もず (mo₁zu)