# す

| す | U+3059, &#12377; HIRAGANA LETTER SU |
| ← じ [U+3058] | Hiragana | ず → [U+305A] |

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

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

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [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, deriving from Middle Chinese 周 (MC tsyuw).

#### Syllable

す • (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)

##### 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 |
| 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 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: [sɨ]

#### Noun

す • (su)
* 巣, 栖, 窼: 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]

### Etymology 3

* Alternative spellings
* 酢 醋 酸
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 (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 (cù) or Cantonese 醋 (cou$^3$).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) す [súꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [sɨ]

#### Noun

す • (su)
* 酢, 醋, 酸: 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
From Old Japanese.
Possibly a loanword from Middle Chinese 州 (MC tsyuw).

#### Pronunciation

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

#### Noun

す • (su)
* 州, 洲: sandbank, sandbar

### Etymology 5

* Alternative spelling
* 為
From Old Japanese.

#### Verb

す • (su)
* (archaic) to do
* (archaic) to cause, become

##### Conjugation

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

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 |
Stem forms :
| Irrealis (未然形) | せ | せ | se |
| Continuative (連用形) | せ | せ | se |
| Terminal (終止形) | す | す | su |
| Attributive (連体形) | する | する | suru |
| Realis (已然形) | すれ | すれ | sure |
| Imperative (命令形) | せよ | せよ | seyo |
| Key constructions ||||
| Negative | せず | せず | sezu |
| Contrasting conjunction | すれど | すれど | suredo |
| Causal conjunction | すれば | すれば | sureba |
| Conditional conjunction | せば | せば | seba |
| Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | せき | せき | seki |
| Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | せけり | せけり | sekeri |
| Perfect tense (conscious action) | せつ | せつ | setu |
| Perfect tense (natural event) | せぬ | せぬ | senu |
| Perfect-continuative tense | せたり | せたり | setari |
| Volitional | せむ | せむ | semu |

### Etymology 7

For pronunciation and definitions of す – see the following entry. :
| 【候そろ】4 | [verb] (archaic) to be; auxiliary used in place of -ある after で or に when forming a copula [verb] (archaic) to do; auxiliary used in place of -ます after the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of a verb Alternative spelling そう |
(This term, す (su), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as す, see Category:Japanese kanji read as す.) :

### References

* ↑ “巣・栖・窼”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* ↑ c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 5, poem 892:, text available online here
* 1 2 3 4 5 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* 1 2 3 “す 【州・洲】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

## Old Japanese
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *su.

#### 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敝能可多爾可治能於等須奈里ware no$_2$mi$_2$ ya yo$_1$pune pa ko$_2$gu to$_2$ omope$_1$reba oki$_1$pe$_1$ no$_2$ kata ni kadi no$_2$ oto$_2$ su nari(please add an English translation of this quotation)
* 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, section 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 yo$_1$ kumo$_1$ tatiwatari Unebi$_2$-yama ko$_2$no$_2$pa sayagi$_1$nu kaze pukamu to$_2$ su(please add an English translation of this quotation)

##### Conjugation

Stem forms :
| Irrealis (未然形) | せ | せ | se |
| Continuative (連用形) | し | し | si |
| Terminal (終止形) | す | す | su |
| Attributive (連体形) | する | する | suru |
| Realis (已然形) | すれ | すれ | sure |
| Imperative (命令形) | せよ | せよ | seyo |
| Key constructions ||||
| Negative | せず | せず | sezu |
| Contrasting conjunction | すれど | すれど | suredo |
| Causal conjunction | すれば | すれば | sureba |
| Conditional conjunction | せば | せば | seba |
| Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | しき | しき | siki |
| Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | しけり | しけり | sikeri |
| Perfect tense (conscious action) | しつ | しつ | situ |
| Perfect tense (natural event) | しぬ | しぬ | sinu |
| Perfect-continuative tense | せり したり | せり したり | seri sitari |
| Volitional | せむ | 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 me$_1$ wo ari to$_2$ ki$_1$kasite kupasi me$_1$ wo ari to$_2$ ki$_1$ko$_2$site sa-yo$_1$bapi$_1$ ni ari tatasi yo$_1$bapi$_1$ ni ari kayo$_1$pase(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 1, poem 1:...此岳尓菜採須兒家吉閑名告紗根......ko$_2$no$_2$ woka ni na tumasu ko$_1$ ipe$_1$ ki$_1$kana no$_2$rasane...(please add an English translation of this quotation)

##### Conjugation

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

### Etymology 3

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

#### Suffix

す (-su)
* representing birds

##### Derived terms

* 鶯 (ugupi$_1$su)
* 烏 (karasu)
* ほととぎす (poto$_2$to$_2$gi$_1$su)
* もず (mo$_1$zu)