три
tri[trʲi]
The English word three is translated into Russian as три (tri). Wiktionary also lists тро́е (tróje) and тро́йка (trójka).
Meaning: cardinal number 3 (num)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| три | tri | [trʲi] (narrow) | |
| тро́е | tróje | collective | |
| тро́йка | trójka | feminine |
The primary way to express the cardinal number 3 is with три.
Which one should you use?
While три is the cardinal number used for counting, the noun тро́йка is used to mean 'a group of three' or 'the number three'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form три is used with nouns in the nominative case (for counting) or the accusative case (for inanimate objects). The collective form тро́е is used when referring to a group of people (often mixed gender) or when certain grammatical conditions for collective numerals are met.
How do you pronounce it?
три is romanized as tri.
Did you know?
- In the Russian grading system, a тро́йка is a 'C' grade, representing a satisfactory but mediocre performance.
- The term тро́йка can refer to a 'troika' in a political sense, specifically a committee of three people who hold power or make decisions.
- In Russian, the word тро́йка can specifically refer to a traditional carriage drawn by three horses.
Examples in context
- У Тома их три.Tom has three of them.This sentence shows how to use три to indicate possession.Tatoeba #11160729 by marafon, translation #3448837 by CK
- Я ждал три дня.I've waited for three days.This sentence uses три to express a duration of time.Tatoeba #3081287 by marafon, translation #2360671 by CK
- У нас три часа.We've got three hours.This sentence uses три to state a quantity of hours.Tatoeba #3714723 by marafon, translation #3310148 by CK
- В таблице приведены три вариантаIn the table, three options are provided.
- нас было троеThere were three of us
- 4307 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Olga and Aleksandr are at a cafe.
- Ольга OlgaАлександр, сколько чашек кофе нам нужно?Aleksandr, skol'ko chashek kofe nam nuzhno?Aleksandr, how many cups of coffee do we need?
- Александр AleksandrНам нужно только три чашки.Nam nuzhno tol'ko tri chashki.We only need three cups.
- Ольга OlgaХорошо, я сейчас закажу их.Khorosho, ya seychas zakazhu ikh.Okay, I will order them now.
- Александр AleksandrСпасибо, Ольга.Spasibo, Ol'ga.Thank you, Olga.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries три, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
