三角形
sānjiǎoxíng
The English word "triangle" is 三角形 (sānjiǎoxíng) in Chinese. Wiktionary also lists 三角 (sānjiǎo).
Meaning: polygon (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 三角形 | sānjiǎoxíng |
| 三角 | sānjiǎo |
Both forms refer to a triangle, a polygon with three sides.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 三角形 is composed of 三 (three), 角 (angle) and 形 (shape).
Which one should you use?
While both mean triangle, 三角 is often used as a prefix in mathematical terms (such as in the term for trigonometric functions), whereas 三角形 is the standard noun for the geometric shape itself.
How do you pronounce it?
sānjiǎoxíng
Did you know?
- The character 角 is also a unit of currency in China, representing one tenth of a 元 (yuan). It is similar to how 'cent' is used in English.
- In traditional Chinese architecture, the 三角 shape is frequently avoided in certain layout elements to prevent the creation of 'sharp' energy or 'poison arrows' in Feng Shui.
- The character 角 used in 三角形 also means 'horn' and 'corner'. In ancient Chinese, it was a pictograph of an animal horn, which naturally possesses a pointed angle.
Examples in context
- 求三角形的面積Please find the area of the triangle.This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask for the area of a 三角.Tatoeba #5849917 by pftest2382785, translation #244978 by shekitten
- 求三角形內切圓的半徑。Find the radius of the incircle of the triangle.This sentence is useful for practicing how to find the radius of an incircle for a 三角.Tatoeba #13861335 by LeviHighway, translation #2570030 by VirtuOZ
- 海龍公式說明了三角形的面積如何表示為其邊長的函數。Heron's Formula shows how the area of a triangle can be expressed as a function of its side lengths.This sentence is useful for seeing how the area of a 三角 can be expressed as a function of side lengths.Tatoeba #13835770 by LeviHighway, translation #13391975 by frpzzd
- 看！前面有一块三角牌子。Look! There is a triangular sign ahead.
- 这块披萨是三角形状的。The pizza slice is in the shape of a triangle.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
浩然 and 梓涵 are discussing a geometry homework assignment.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，這題要畫三角形嗎？Zǐhán, zhè tí yào huà sānjiǎoxíng ma?Zihan, do we need to draw a triangle for this problem?
- 梓涵 Zihan對，浩然，要把這個三角形畫出來。Duì, Hàorán, yào bǎ zhège sānjiǎoxíng huà chūlái.Yes, Haoran, we need to draw this triangle.
- 浩然 Haoran我可以用尺來畫嗎？Wǒ kěyǐ yòng chǐ lái huà ma?Can I use a ruler to draw it?
- 梓涵 Zihan當然可以，這樣會比較準。Dāngrán kěyǐ, zhèyàng huì bǐjiào zhǔn.Of course, that will be more accurate.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “triangle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
