Writing
三 (sān) — how to say "three" in Chinese
三
Three, 3
numeral
Radicals / Keys
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Examples
我有三个朋友，我们都很高兴。
I have three friends, we are all very happy.
我有三本书
I have three books.
Mnemonic
[sān-] Sandman 🌟 is dancing on stage with three bright spotlights shining down, creating three perfect rings of light on the floor. As he moves, he counts the circles excitedly: "Look, three rings of light! 三!"
Frequently asked questions
How to say three in Mandarin?
"three" in Chinese is 三 (sān).
三 meaning in English
三 (sān) means "Three, 3".
Three in Mandarin pinyin
It is pronounced sān (written as san). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
Three in Chinese character
It is written 三 and has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 三?
三 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 三
个 — measure word for counting
Number + 个 (gè) + Noun
点 — telling the hour
Number + 点 (diǎn)
多 — over, more than
Number + 多 (duō) + Measure Word (+ Noun)
本 — measure words for counting
Number + Measure Word + Noun
两 — approximating with sequential numbers
Number 1 + Number 2
了 — ongoing duration with double 了
Verb + 了 (le) + Duration + 了 (le)