三 (sān) — three
HSK 1 | number | the digit three
三 (sān)
The number three; like other single-digit numbers, it pairs with a measure word when counting objects (三个, 三本, 三杯).
Meanings
- [number] Three, the digit 3.
- [adjective] Several, a few (in idiomatic phrases: 三番五次, repeatedly).
Example Sentences
我有三个好朋友。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè hǎo péngyou. I have three good friends.
他学中文学了三年了。 Tā xué Zhōngwén xuéle sān nián le. He has been studying Chinese for three years.
请等三分钟。 Qǐng děng sān fēnzhōng. Please wait three minutes.
她每天喝三杯水。 Tā měitiān hē sān bēi shuǐ. She drinks three glasses of water every day.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 三个 (sān gè) | three (general) |
| 三月 (Sān yuè) | March |
| 三十 (sānshí) | thirty |
| 三天 (sān tiān) | three days |
| 第三 (dì sān) | third (ordinal) |
| 三点 (sān diǎn) | three o'clock |
Memory Hook
三 is three horizontal strokes stacked up — the most satisfying tally of all: one, two, three lines. Roman numeral III and Chinese 三 share the same visual logic.