三
sān/sän⁵⁵/Xiamen
The English word three is translated into Chinese as 三 (sān). If unsure, use 三.
Meaning: cardinal number 3 (num)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 三 | sān | /sän⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɑɻ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA) |
Xiamen |
| 三 | sā̃, sām | /sã⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /sã³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien, Xiamen |
三 is used as the cardinal number 3. It can also function as a noun referring to the digit or figure 3.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Min Nan dialect, three is pronounced as saⁿ with a rising tone. Additionally, the form сан is used in Dungan.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien (Xiamen) form is pronounced /sän⁵⁵/ (sā̃, sām).
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, 三 is often associated with the 'three realms' of heaven, earth and humanity, making it a number representing completeness or the universe.
- Many Chinese idioms use 三 to mean 'several' or 'many' rather than exactly three, such as in the phrase 三三两两 which describes people gathering in small, scattered groups.
- The character 三 is an ideogram composed of three simple parallel strokes, representing the number itself.
Examples in context
- 雨下了三天。It was rainy for three days.This sentence demonstrates using 三 to indicate a duration of three days.Tatoeba #2807844 by cienias, translation #2566602 by AsliAbbasi
- 有三票反對。Three voted against the idea.This sentence shows 三 being used to count votes.Tatoeba #5558543 by verdastelo9604, translation #804306 by Source_VOA
- 三點可以嗎？Would three o'clock be OK?This sentence uses 三 to refer to the time of three o'clock.Tatoeba #13860144 by LeviHighway, translation #10677397 by CK
- 我有 三 只猫。I have three cats.
- 六加 三 等于九。Six plus three equals nine.
- 464 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zi Han and Wei are ordering drinks at a cafe.
- 梓涵 Zihan我要三杯咖啡。guá iòu san pē ka-pīI want three cups of coffee.
- 伟 Wei你要什麼口味的？lú iòu siá-mi̍t kò͘-uī êWhat flavor do you want?
- 梓涵 Zihan三杯拿鐵就好。san pē ná-tī tsiū-hóThree lattes will be fine.
- 伟 Wei沒問題，等我一下。bô bûn-tê, tán guá it-ēNo problem, wait for me a moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries 三, 三, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 三, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
