音読み: シ
訓読み: ゆび・さす
画数: 9
部首: てへん（扌）
Meaning
Finger / Point / Indicate
- Basic forms
- 指す — to point; to indicate; to designate / base form
- 指します — (I) point; indicate / masu form
- 指した — pointed; indicated / ta form
- 指して — point and …; indicate and … / te-form
- 指さない — do not point / negative form
- 指せば — if (you) point / conditional
- 指せ — point! indicate! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 方向を指したい — want to point the direction / 〜たい form
- 道を指せる — can point the way / potential
- 指せた — was able to point / past potential
- 指せない — cannot point / negative potential
- More
- 指そう — let’s point; let’s indicate / 〜よう form
- 指さなかった — did not point / past negative
- 指している — is pointing; is indicating / progressive
指す（さす） is a godan verb ending in す.
Stem alternates as 指し → 指す → 指して → 指した.
Used for physically pointing, indicating directions,
or designating something such as a position or concept.
- 指 — finger
- 指す — to point
- 指示 — instruction, direction
- 指定 — designation
- 指導 — guidance
- 指名 — nomination
More examples - tap to expand
- 指輪 — ring
- 指紋 — fingerprint
- 指摘 — pointing out, indication
- 指標 — index, indicator
- 指先 — fingertip
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
- 指し示す — to indicate; to point out
- 目指す — to aim for; to have as a goal
指 is built from two parts: the radical 扌 (hand) on the left, and the phonetic part 旨 (meaning “intention” or “aim”) on the right. Together, they suggest the image of a hand pointing with purpose. This structure explains why the kanji means “finger” and by extension “to point” or “to indicate.”