1For sunlight or light to shine in and brighten a place.
朝、カーテンの間から光が差した。
In the morning, light shone in through the gap in the curtains.
雲が晴れて、太陽の光が差してきた。
The clouds cleared and sunlight began to shine through.
木々の間から差す光が美しかった。
The light shining through the trees was beautiful.
2For something faint or distant to gradually come into view.
霧の中に遠くの山が差して見えた。
The distant mountain gradually became visible through the fog.
夕暮れに街の灯りが差して見えはじめた。
At dusk, the lights of the town began to come into view.
3For a slight color or expression to appear on a face, in the sky, etc.
恥ずかしくて彼女の頬に赤みが差した。
She blushed with embarrassment, a faint red tinting her cheeks.
夕焼けが空にオレンジ色を差していた。
The sunset tinted the sky orange.
その話を聞くと、彼の顔に不安が差した。
Hearing that story, a look of unease crossed his face.
4For the tide to rise and water to flow in.
満潮になり、潮が防波堤の近くまで差してきた。
It became high tide, and the water rose right up near the breakwater.
川に海水が差してくる時間帯は釣りに向かない。
The time when seawater flows into the river isn't good for fishing.
5For a feeling or impulse to suddenly come over one; used in expressions like 気が差す (feel a twinge of conscience) and 魔が差す (be seized by a rash impulse).
嘘をついたことに、少し気が差した。
I felt a twinge of guilt for having lied.
一瞬、魔が差して万引きをしてしまった。
On a rash impulse, I ended up shoplifting for a moment.
6To hold up an umbrella or parasol over oneself.
雨が降り出したので傘を差した。
It started to rain, so I put up my umbrella.
日傘を差して歩くと少し涼しい。
Walking with a parasol up feels a bit cooler.
二人で一つの傘を差して駅まで歩いた。
The two of us walked to the station sharing one umbrella.
7A dance movement, in traditional Japanese dance, of extending the arm straight forward.
師匠に手を差す型を細かく指導された。
My teacher carefully instructed me on the form for extending the arm.
8To insert something slender, such as a hairpin.
髪にかんざしを差すと着物姿がより美しく見える。
Putting a hairpin in your hair makes wearing a kimono look even more beautiful.
名刺をポケットにそっと差した。
I quietly slipped the business card into my pocket.
9To wear a sword tucked into one's belt or sash.
昔の武士は刀を腰に差して歩いていた。
Samurai of the past used to walk about with a sword at their waist.
10In sumo, to insert one's arm under an opponent's arm to grip the belt.
力士は左を差して有利な体勢を作った。
The sumo wrestler inserted his left arm to gain an advantageous position.
11To propel a boat by pushing a pole against the riverbed.
船頭は竿を差して舟をゆっくり進めた。
The boatman poled the boat forward slowly.
12To pour a drink, such as sake, into a cup, e.g. to serve someone.
上司の杯に酒を差した。
I poured sake into my boss's cup.
一杯差してもよろしいですか。
May I pour you a drink?
13To apply lipstick or a touch of color.
出かける前に軽く口紅を差した。
Before going out, I put on a little lipstick.
頬にほんのり紅を差すだけで顔色が良くなる。
Just adding a hint of rouge to your cheeks makes your complexion look better.
14To light a fire, an uncommon way of saying this.
松明に火を差して夜道を進んだ。
We lit the torch and proceeded down the dark path.
15To shut or lock a door, an old-fashioned or dialectal usage.
夜になると戸を差して家に鍵をかけた。
At night, they would shut the door and lock the house, an old-fashioned expression.
16A suffix attached to a verb's -masu stem, meaning to stop partway or leave unfinished, an archaic usage rarely seen today.
読み差した本を、また後で開いた。
(archaic) I later reopened the book I had left half-read.