Sa in Korean: the Syllable 사
사 is a Korean syllable block read sa, built from ㅅ + ㅏ. See 사자 and 사과 as examples, trace 사 in 4 strokes, print the 사 worksheet for free.
How do you read and write Sa in Korean (사)?
Sa in Korean is written 사 and is built from ㅅ + ㅏ, a side-by-side block of 4 strokes. 사 is romanized sa and sounds like the sa in English 'saw'. You will find 사 at the start of 사자 (lion) and 사과 (apple; sorry).
Sa in Korean 사: reading, parts and strokes
사 Sa in KoreanKorean syllable block
사 is read sa: ㅅ + ㅏ.
사 at a glance
Two ways to remember 사
Look
Words with 
How the block 사 is built
How to read 사
사How to write 사 stroke by stroke
Trace Sa in Korean 사 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
From the top, sweep down to the lower left. In the case of 사 (sa), then start from the middle of the first stroke and sweep down to the lower right.
Finish with ㅏ (a) beside it: draw one tall line down, then a short arm halfway along it.
The block needs four strokes in all, 2 for ㅅ and 2 for ㅏ.
Write 사람 (person) and 사랑 (love): both begin with 사. Then count 일, 이, 삼, 사 to use 사 as a number.
A common slip with 사
How 사 is used
사 opens 사람 (person), 사과 (apple) and 사진 (photo). Note that 사과 can also mean “apology”, so the same spelling does two jobs and context decides.
The opening consonant of this block is made with the teeth ridge, and its sound is like s, as in shelter.
사 with a final consonant
| Block | Reading | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 삭 | sak | ㄱ = k |
| 산 | san | ㄴ = n |
| 살 | sal | ㄹ = l |
| 삼 | sam | ㅁ = m |
| 삽 | sap | ㅂ = p |
| 상 | sang | ㅇ = ng |
With 사 (sa), put a consonant under the block and the reading gains an ending: 삭 (sak), 산 (san), 살 (sal), 삼 (sam), 삽 (sap), 상 (sang).
For 사 (sa), each ending is a closed sound, k for ㄱ, n for ㄴ, l for ㄹ, m for ㅁ, p for ㅂ, ng for ㅇ.
Close 사 with ㄱ and you read 삭 (sak), closing on a quiet k. Close 사 with ㄴ and you read 산 (san), closing on a hummed n. Close 사 with ㄹ and you read 살 (sal), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Put ㅁ at the bottom of 사 for 삼 (sam), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 사 for 삽 (sap), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 사 for 상 (sang), closing on the ng of song.
ㅅ with other vowels
Keep ㅅ (siot) and swap the vowel to get 사 (sa), 서 (seo), 소 (so), 수 (su), 스 (seu), 시 (si).
사 next to 바 and 아
Before 사 in the starter row comes 바 (ba), whose consonant uses both lips for a light breath.
Words that start with 사
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 사위 | sa-wi | son-in-law (noun) |
| 사진 | sa-jin | photo (noun) |
| 사탕 | sa-tang | candy (noun) |
| 의사 | ui-sa | doctor (noun) |
Start 사자 (lion) with 사, then finish it as sa-ja.
Start 사과 (apple; sorry) with 사, then finish it as sa-gwa.
Start 사람 (person) with 사, then finish it as sa-ram.
Start 사진 (photo) with 사, then finish it as sa-jin.
Start 사탕 (candy) with 사, then finish it as sa-tang.
사 writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean syllable tracing worksheet: 사 (sa)
The one-page Sa in Korean 사 sheet builds 사 (sa) from ㅅ + ㅏ, traces it, writes ㅅ with other vowels (사 서 소 수 스 시) and ends with a game of finding 사.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 100 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Build 사 from ㅅ + ㅏ, trace it, then write it on your own.
Practice 사
Try it yourself
Put Sa in Korean 사, sa, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with 사 ready
사 (Sa in Korean) — FAQ
How do you read 사?
Put together, ㅅ and ㅏ sound like sa.
Which letters make up 사?
사 is made of ㅅ and ㅏ. ㅅ is written first and ㅏ next to it, so the block reads left to right.
How do you write 사 stroke by stroke?
Draw ㅅ first and ㅏ second; that is 2 for ㅅ and 2 for ㅏ, 4 strokes in all.
How is 사 made?
사 is ㅅ (s) + ㅏ (a) side by side, 4 strokes in all. It is romanized sa.
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