godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
shine; shine in; fall on
Intransitive use for light, especially sunlight, entering or falling on a place. Often written 射す in more specific orthography, but 差す is attested here.
See also: 射す
窓から朝日が差している。
Morning sunlight is shining in through the window.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
Used when a color, sign, or feeling becomes visible on a face, surface, or scene. 赤みが差す is a common pattern for a reddish tinge; 疲れの色が差す means signs of fatigue show.
彼の顔には疲れの色が差していた。
Signs of fatigue showed on his face.
夕方になると空に赤みが差す。
Toward evening, the sky takes on a reddish tinge.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
Intransitive use for water, especially the tide, rising or flowing into an area.
夕方には潮が差してくる。
The tide will come in toward evening.
godan verb (-su), intransitive verb
come over one; be felt; take hold
Used mostly in fixed emotional or psychological expressions such as 気が差す and 魔が差す, where a feeling, hesitation, guilt, or sudden impulse comes over someone.
そんな嘘をついて、少し気が差した。
After telling a lie like that, I felt a little guilty.
一瞬、魔が差して財布を盗んでしまった。
For a moment I was overcome by a bad impulse and stole the wallet.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Transitive use for raising or holding something up, especially 傘を差す, 'to put up or hold an umbrella.'
雨が降り出したので傘を差した。
It started raining, so I put up my umbrella.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
extend an arm straight ahead
Specialized transitive use in dance or stage movement for extending an arm straight forward. It overlaps in spelling and sound with 指す in some descriptions.
See also: 指す
日本舞踊の所作で、踊り手は右手を前へ差した。
In the Japanese dance movement, the dancer extended her right arm forward.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
wear at one's side; carry tucked in; carry under one's arm
Transitive use for having a sword or similar object tucked into one's belt or carried at one's side; by extension it can also describe carrying something tucked under the arm.
See also: 挿す
侍は腰に刀を差していた。
The samurai wore a sword at his waist.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
get an inside grip; insert one's arm under an opponent's arm
Sumo term for putting one's arm inside and under the opponent's arm, as in 右を差す or 左を差す.
その力士は立ち合いですぐに右を差した。
At the initial charge, the wrestler immediately got his right arm inside.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
pole a boat
Transitive use with 棹, meaning to push a boat along by using a pole. This is a limited collocation rather than a broad everyday verb sense.
See also: 刺す
船頭が棹を差して舟を進めた。
The boatman pushed the boat along with a pole.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
pour; add liquid; serve drinks
Transitive use for adding or pouring liquid. 注す is a more semantically specific spelling, but 差す appears in expressions such as 水を差す and 差し水.
See also: 注す
鍋が煮詰まったら、水を少し差す。
If the pot boils down too much, add a little water.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Transitive use for applying color or cosmetics, especially 口紅を差す. The spelling 点す may be used for some related senses, but 口紅を差す is a common expression.
See also: 点す
出かける前に口紅を差した。
She put on lipstick before going out.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
light a fire; set alight; burn
Rare or old-fashioned use meaning to light something. Modern Japanese usually uses 火をつける or ともす; this sense is related to the spelling 点す.
古い文章では「火を差す」が「火をつける」の意味で使われることがある。
In old writing, 火を差す can be used to mean 'to light a fire.'
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Transitive use for closing or securing something, often by putting a bar, bolt, or lock in place. 鎖す is a related spelling; everyday speech often uses 鍵をかける for 'lock.'
See also: 鎖す
門に閂を差して、夜に備えた。
They barred the gate in preparation for the night.
suffix, godan verb (-su)
stop midway; leave unfinished
Suffix-like use after the masu-stem of a verb, as in 言い差す or 読み差す, meaning to stop partway through an action or leave it unfinished. Often written in kana in modern text.
See also: 止す
彼は何かを言い差して、急に黙った。
He started to say something, then suddenly fell silent.