三千
sanzen[sã̠nd͡zẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase "three thousand" is translated into Japanese as 三千 (sanzen).
三千 is a numerical term used to represent the quantity 3,000. For example, adding the currency marker to the phrase results in sanzen en, which means three thousand yen.
Meaning: 3,000 (num)
How do you pronounce it?
sanzen
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese calligraphy and formal documents, the number 3,000 can be written using the character 参 instead of 三. This 'daiji' or large-number form was created to prevent fraud, as it is harder to alter than a simple line.
- The Buddhist concept of sanzen sekai translates to 'three thousand worlds', which represents the entire universe and all its inhabitants.
- In Japanese, the number 3,000 is pronounced sanzen rather than san-sen. The 's' sound changes to a 'z' sound because of a linguistic process called rendaku, which makes the word easier to pronounce.
Examples in context
- 九千二百五十八億一千四百七十万三千六百九十二は、十二桁の数字です。Nine hundred twenty-five billion, eight hundred fourteen million, seven hundred three thousand, six hundred ninety-two is a twelve-digit number.This sentence shows how 三千 is used within a larger twelve-digit number.Tatoeba #10219046 by small_snow, translation #10219021 by Objectivesea
- 三千円を払いました。sanzen en o haraimashita.I paid three thousand yen.
- このチケットは三千円です。kono chiketto wa sanzen en desu.This ticket is three thousand yen.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are at a small cafe.
- 蓮 Renこのケーキはいくらですか？kono ke-ki wa ikura desu ka?How much is this cake?
- 陽葵 Himari三千円です。sanzen en desu.It is three thousand yen.
- 蓮 Ren少し高いですね。sukoshi takai desu ne.It's a bit expensive, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても美味しいですよ。hai, totemo oishii desu yo.Yes, but it is very delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three thousand” translations and entries 三千, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
