三
三 - Translingual
Han character
三 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+2, 3 strokes, cangjie input 一一一 (MMM), four-corner 10101, composition ⿱一二 or ⿱𠄟一)
- Shuowen Jiezi radical №4
Derived characters
Descendants
- ミ (Katakana character derived from man'yōgana)
三 - Chinese
| simp. and trad. | 三 | |
|---|---|---|
| alternative forms | 叄／叁／參／参 financial 𠫰／𠬅／𠬄 less used 弎 𢦘 | |
Glyph origin
| Historical forms of the character 三 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Shang | Western Zhou | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Bronze inscriptions | Chu slip and silk script | Qin slip script | Ancient script | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:
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Ideogram (指事) - three parallel strokes. Compare with 一, one stroke meaning “one”, 二, two strokes meaning “two”, and 亖, four strokes meaning “four”. Triplication of 一 (“one”).
Pronunciation 1
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): saam1
- (Taishan, Wiktionary): lham1
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): saam1
- Gan (Wiktionary): san1
- Hakka
- (Sixian, PFS): sâm
- (Meixian, Guangdong): sam1
- Jin (Wiktionary): san1
- Min Bei (KCR): sáng
- Min Dong (BUC): săng
- Min Nan
- Wu (Wiktionary): 1se
- Xiang (Wiktionary): san1
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: sān
- Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ
- Tongyong Pinyin: san
- Wade–Giles: san1
- Yale: sān
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: san
- Palladius: сань (sanʹ)
- Sinological IPA : /sän⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: sānr
- Zhuyin: ㄙㄢㄦ
- Tongyong Pinyin: sanr
- Wade–Giles: sanrh1
- Yale: sānr
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sal
- Palladius: саnр (sanr)
- Sinological IPA : /sɑɻ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
Note: sānr - (1) "the other woman; the other man", (2) "rfdef".
- (Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: san1
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: san
- Sinological IPA : /san⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
- Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сан (san, I)
- Sinological IPA : /sæ̃²⁴/
- (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
- (Chengdu)
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: saam1
- Yale: sāam
- Cantonese Pinyin: saam1
- Guangdong Romanization: sam1
- Sinological IPA : /saːm⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
- Wiktionary: lham1
- Sinological IPA : /ɬam³³/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Gan
- (Nanchang)
- Wiktionary: san1
- Sinological IPA : /san⁴²/
- (Nanchang)
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sâm
- Hakka Romanization System: sam´
- Hagfa Pinyim: sam1
- Sinological IPA: /sam²⁴/
- (Meixian)
- Guangdong: sam1
- Sinological IPA: /sam⁴⁴/
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
- Jin
- (Taiyuan)+
- Wiktionary: san1
- Sinological IPA (old-style): /sæ̃¹¹/
- (Taiyuan)+
- Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
- Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sáng
- Sinological IPA : /saŋ⁵⁴/
- (Jian'ou)
- Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: săng
- Sinological IPA : /saŋ⁵⁵/
- (Fuzhou)
- Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: saⁿ
- Tâi-lô: sann
- Phofsit Daibuun: svaf
- IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Changtai, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /sã⁴⁴/
- IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /sã³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam
- Tâi-lô: sam
- Phofsit Daibuun: safm
- IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Changtai, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴/
- IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /sam³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
Note:
- saⁿ - vernacular;
- sam - literary.
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: san1 / sam1
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: saⁿ / sam
- Sinological IPA : /sã³³/, /sam³³/
- (Teochew)
Note:
- san1 - vernacular;
- sam1 - literary.
- Wu
- (Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: 1se
- Sinological IPA : /se̞⁵³/
- (Shanghainese)
- Xiang
- (Changsha)
- Wiktionary: san1
- Sinological IPA : /san³³/
- (Changsha)
- Middle Chinese: /sɑm/
| Rime | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 心 (16) |
| Final (韻) | 談 (143) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 蘇甘切 |
| Reconstructions | |
| ZhengzhangShangfang | /sɑm/ |
| PanWuyun | /sɑm/ |
| ShaoRongfen | /sɑm/ |
| EdwinPulleyblank | /sam/ |
| LiRong | /sɑm/ |
| WangLi | /sɑm/ |
| BernardKarlgren | /sɑm/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | sān |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | saam1 |
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*s.rum/
- (Zhengzhang): /*suːm/
| Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | sān |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ sam › |
| Old Chinese | /*s.rum/ (*s.r- > s-; infl. by 四 *s-?) |
| English | three |
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. | |
| Zhengzhang system (2003) | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| No. | 10963 |
| Phonetic component | 三 |
| Rime group | 侵 |
| Rime subdivision | 3 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 三 |
| Old Chinese | /*suːm/ |
Definitions
三
- three
- (Mainland China, slang, neologism) the other woman; the other man
- a surname
Compounds
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Descendants
Others:
Pronunciation 2
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): saam3, saam1
- Min Nan (POJ): sàm
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: sān
- Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ
- Tongyong Pinyin: san
- Wade–Giles: san1
- Yale: sān
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: san
- Palladius: сань (sanʹ)
- Sinological IPA : /sän⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, literary variant)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: sàn
- Zhuyin: ㄙㄢˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: sàn
- Wade–Giles: san4
- Yale: sàn
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sann
- Palladius: сань (sanʹ)
- Sinological IPA : /sän⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: saam3, saam1
- Yale: saam, sāam
- Cantonese Pinyin: saam3, saam1
- Guangdong Romanization: sam3, sam1
- Sinological IPA : /saːm³³/, /saːm⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sàm
- Tâi-lô: sàm
- Phofsit Daibuun: saxm
- IPA (Xiamen): /sam²¹/
- IPA (Quanzhou): /sam⁴¹/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /sam²¹/
- IPA (Taipei): /sam¹¹/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam²¹/
- (Hokkien)
- Middle Chinese: /sɑmH/
| Rime | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 心 (16) |
| Final (韻) | 談 (143) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 蘇暫切 |
| Reconstructions | |
| ZhengzhangShangfang | /sɑmH/ |
| PanWuyun | /sɑmH/ |
| ShaoRongfen | /sɑmH/ |
| EdwinPulleyblank | /samH/ |
| LiRong | /sɑmH/ |
| WangLi | /sɑmH/ |
| BernardKarlgren | /sɑmH/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | sàn |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | saam3 |
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*s.r[u]m-s/
- (Zhengzhang): /*suːms/
| Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | sān |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ samH › |
| Old Chinese | /*s.r[u]m-s/ (*s.r- > *s-, infl. by 四 *s-?) |
| English | three times |
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. | |
| Zhengzhang system (2003) | |
|---|---|
| Character | 三 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| No. | 10965 |
| Phonetic component | 三 |
| Rime group | 侵 |
| Rime subdivision | 3 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 三 |
| Old Chinese | /*suːms/ |
Definitions
三 (obsolete)
- repeatedly; thrice
- 三思 ― sānsī ― to think carefully
Compounds
三 - Japanese
Kanji
三
(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)
Readings
- Go-on: さん (san, Jōyō)←さん (san, historical)←さむ (samu, ancient)
- Kan-on: さん (san, Jōyō)←さん (san, historical)←さむ (samu, ancient)
- Kun: み (mi, 三, Jōyō); みつ (mitsu, 三つ, Jōyō); みっつ (mittsu, 三つ, Jōyō)
- Nanori: か (ka); かず (kazu); さ (sa); さい (sai); さえ (sae); さぶ (sabu); さむ (samu); ざ (za); ざえ (zae); ざぶ (zabu); そ (so); そう (sō); ぞ (zo); ぞう (zō); ただ (tada); みつ (mitsu); みん (min); も (mo); や (ya)
Compounds
- 再三 (saisan, “again and again; repeatedly”)
- 三育 (san'iku)
- 三猿 (san'en, “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”, literally “three monkeys”)
- 三回忌 (sankaiki)
- 三角 (sankaku, “triangle”)
- 三(さん)冠(かん)王(おう) (sankan'ō)
- 三(さん)冠(かん)馬(ば) (sankanba)
- 三韓 (sankan)
- 三界 (sangai)
- 三月 (sangatsu, “(month) March”)
- 三脚 (sankyaku)
- 三級 (sankyū)
- 三曲 (sankyoku)
- 三(さん)業(ぎょう) (sangyō)
- 三軍 (sangun)
- 三(さん)景(けい) (sankei)
- 三(さん)桁(けた) (sanketa)
- 三(さん)権(けん) (sanken)
- 三原色 (sangenshoku)
- 三(さん)顧(こ) (sanko)
- 三更 (sankō)
- 三(さん)校(こう) (sankō)
- 三(さん)号(ごう)雑(ざっ)誌(し) (sangō zasshi, “a short-lived magazine”, literally “3 issues”)
- 三国 (sangoku)
- 三才 (sansai)
- 三(さん)々(さん)九(く)度(ど) (sansankudo)
- 三(さん)々(さん)五(ご)々(ご) (sansangogo)
- 三思 (sanshi, “deep reflection”)
- 三下 (sanshita)
- 三(さん)者(しゃ) (sansha)
- 三(さん)種(しゅ) (sanshu)
- 三(さん)唱(しょう) (sanshō)
- 三省 (sanshō)
- 三(さん)賞(しょう) (sanshō)
- 三(さん)色(しょく) (sanshoku)
- 三(さん)食(しょく) (sanshoku, “three meals (a day)”)
- 三振 (sanshin, “three strikes”)
- 三時 (sanji, “3 o'clock”)
- 三次 (sanji)
- 三(さん)尺(じゃく) (sanjaku)
- 三重 (sanjū)
- 三女 (sanjo, “three daughters; third daughter”)
- 三(さん)乗(じょう) (sanjō, “to the third power; cubed”)
- 三畳紀 (Sanjō-ki, “the Triassic period”)
- 三(さん)寸(ずん) (sanzun, “something small”)
- 三(さん)選(せん) (sansen, “third-term election”)
- 三世 (sansei, “third generation”)
- 三相 (sansō)
- 三蔵 (sanzō)
- 三(さん)尊(ぞん) (sanzon)
- 三(さん)体(たい) (santai)
- 三嘆 (santan)
- 三代 (sandai)
- 三(さん)大(だい)都(と)市(し) (sandai toshi, “three major cities (usu. Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya)”)
- 三(さん)等(とう) (santō, “third-class”)
- 三頭筋 (santō kin, “triceps”)
- 三(さん)頭(とう)政(せい)治(じ) (santō seiji, “triumvirate”)
- 三男 (sannan, “three sons; third son”)
- 三人 (sannin, “three people”)
- 三羽烏 (sanbagarasu)
- 三番 (sanban)
- 三(さん)拝(ぱい) (sanpai)
- 三(さん)筆(ぴつ) (sanpitsu)
- 三(さん)部(ぶ) (sanbu, “three parts”)
- 三(さん)府(ぷ) (sanpu)
- 三方 (sanbō, “three sides”)
- 三菩提 (sanbodai, “saṃbodhi”)
- 三宝 (sanpō)
- 三昧 (sanmai, “samadhi”)
- 三(さん)枚(まい) (sanmai)
- 三位 (sanmi)
- 三民主義 (Sanmin Shugi)
- 三(さん)無(む)主(しゅ)義(ぎ) (sanmu shugi)
- 三(さん)面(めん) (sanmen)
- 三門 (sanmon)
- 三(さん)役(やく) (san'yaku)
- 三流 (sanryū, “third-rate; third-class”)
- 三稜鏡 (sanryōkyō)
- 三輪 (sanrin, “three wheels; three-wheeled”)
- 三塁 (sanrui, “third base”)
- 三(さん)連(れん) (sanren)
- 三(さん)和(わ)音(おん) (sanwaon)
- 三(さん)割(わり)自(じ)治(ち) (sanwari jichi)
- 三味線 (shamisen)
- 三日月 (mikazuki, “new moon; crescent moon”)
- 三上 (Mikami)
- 三行半 (mikudarihan)
- 三日 (mikka, “the third day of the month; three days”)
- 三葉虫 (san'yōchū, “trilobite”)
- 三鞭酒 (shanpan, “champagne”)
Alternative forms
- (Financial/formal form): 参
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) さん [sàń] (Heiban – [0])
- IPA: [sã̠ɴ]
Numeral
三 • (san)
Derived terms
- 三(さん)繋(がい) (sangai), 三(さん)懸(がい) (sangai), 三(さん)掛(がい) (sangai), 三(さん)鞅(がい) (sangai)
- 三箇日 (san-ga-nichi), 三(さん)ヶ日(にち) (sanganichi), 三が日 (san-ga-nichi)
- 三(さん)三(さん) (sansan)
- 三(さん)竦(すく)み (san-sukumi)
- 三(さん)助(すけ) (sansuke)
- 三(さん)跡(せき) (sanseki), 三(さん)蹟(せき) (sanseki)
- 三(さん)直(ちょく) (sanchoku)
- 三(さん)D(ディー) (sandī)
- 三本 (sanbon)
- 三本締め (sanbonjime)
- 三叉 (sanmata), 三(さん)股(また) (sanmata)
- 中三 (Chūsan), 昼(ちゅう)三(さん) (Chūsan)
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) サン [sáꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
- IPA: [sã̠ɴ]
Numeral
三 • (san)
Derived terms
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) み [míꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
- IPA: [mʲi]
Numeral
三 • (mi)
Derived terms
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) みい [míꜜì] (Atamadaka – [1])
- IPA: [mʲiː]
Numeral
三 • (mī)
- (colloquial) three
Coordinate terms
| Japanese numbers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Regular | 零 (rei) 零 (zero) | 一 (ichi) | 二 (ni) | 三 (san) | 四 (yon) 四 (shi) | 五 (go) | 六 (roku) | 七 (nana) 七 (shichi) | 八 (hachi) | 九 (kyū) 九 (ku) | 十 (jū) |
| Formal | 壱 (ichi) | 弐 (ni) | 参 (san) | 拾 (jū) | |||||||
| 90 | 100 | 300 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 | 3,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 | 100,000,000 | ||
| Regular | 九十 (kyūjū) | 百 (hyaku) 一百 (ippyaku) | 三百 (sanbyaku) | 六(ろっ)百(ぴゃく) (roppyaku) | 八(はっ)百(ぴゃく) (happyaku) | 千 (sen) 一千 (issen) | 三(さん)千(ぜん) (sanzen) | 八(はっ)千(せん) (hassen) | 一万 (ichiman) | 一億 (ichioku) | |
| Formal | 一萬 (ichiman) | ||||||||||
| 1012 | 8×1012 | 1013 | 1016 | 6×1016 | 8×1016 | 1017 | 1018 | ||||
| 一(いっ)兆(ちょう) (itchō) | 八(はっ)兆(ちょう) (hatchō) | 十(じゅっ)兆(ちょう) (jutchō) | 一(いっ)京(けい) (ikkei) | 六(ろっ)京(けい) (rokkei) | 八(はっ)京(けい) (hakkei) | 十(じゅっ)京(けい) (jukkei) | 百(ひゃっ)京(けい) (hyakkei) | ||||
三 - Korean
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [sʰa̠m]
- Phonetic hangul: [삼]
Hanja
Compounds
三 - Vietnamese
Han character
三: Hán Việt readings: tam (
Compounds
- 三不朽 (tam bất hủ)
- 三世 (tam thế)
- 三乘 (tam thừa)
- 三代 (tam đại)
- 三個月 (tam cá nguyệt)
- 三倍 (tam bội)
- 三傑 (tam kiệt)
- 三元 (tam nguyên)
- 三公 (tam công)
- 三合 (tam hợp)
- 三君 (tam quân)
- 三國 (Tam Quốc)
- 三多 (tam đa)
- 三字經 (tam tự kinh)
- 三島 (Tam Đảo)
- 三彭 (tam bành)
- 三從 (tam tòng)
- 三才 (tam tài)
- 三抄失本 (tam sao thất bản)
- 三教 (tam giáo)
- 三族 (tam tộc)
- 三板 (tam bản)
- 三權分立 (tam quyền phân lập)
- 三段論 (tam đoạn luận)
- 三法 (tam pháp)
- 三焦 (tam tiêu)
- 三牲 (tam sinh)
- 三甲 (tam giáp)
- 三界 (tam giới)
- 三皈 (tam quy)
- 三等 (tam đẳng)
- 三級 (tam cấp)
- 三絃 (tam huyền)
- 三綱 (tam cương)
- 三角 (tam giác)
- 三關 (tam quan)
- 三頭制 (tam đầu chế)
- 三魁 (tam khôi)
- 六韜三略 (lục thao tam lược)