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When is it appropriate to put さ at the end of a sentence? Do women say this
also? I think I remember seeing a female character say it in an anime.
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2011-07-13T04:36:27.843
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2020-03-26T23:48:59.537
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question
usage particles
Ending a sentence with さ
さ can be used by both males and females. Though my dictionary says mainly
masculine and used for assertion.
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2011-07-13T05:39:08.793
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In standard Japanese, ending with a さ is a colloquial way to make a statement
more playfully assertive. After a Hanshin victory over the Tokyo Giants, a
Hanshin fan might say:

> まあ阪神のほうが強いからな。

or

> まあ阪神の方が強いのさ。

To preserve the tone, I might translate the first version as a flat statement
of opinion, as in:

> Well, Hanshin _is_ the stronger team.

while the second version might be more of a playful burn, like

> Well, Hanshin is the stronger team: fact!

It's not rude, but it is assertive, and colloquial, so I wouldn't use it with
a superior. It's gender-neutral. If it seems to be employed slightly more by
Japanese men than by Japanese women, that's just true of assertiveness in
general.
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2011-07-13T20:31:18.700
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2011-07-13T22:59:07.690
2011-07-13T22:59:07.690
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Jisho.org has the following definition:

**さ**

_Suffix_

  1. _-ness_ ​nominalizing suffix indicating degree or condition   
そして、どうすることも出来ない物憂 **さ** に、ふっとため息をつく。  
And then I breathe a sigh from melancholy in being unable to do anything about
it.

_Particle_

  2. _indicates assertion_ ​sentence end, mainly masc.   
ベストをつくしたら後はくよくよ考えないこと **さ** 。  
Do your best and don't worry.

  3. _come; come now_ ​ See also さあ   
でも **さ** 、母を連れて行かなくてはいけないんだ。  
But, I have to take my mother.
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2020-03-26T23:48:59.537
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