三 means “three”

さん · san

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): み, みつ, みっつ
On'yomi (Chinese reading): サン, ゾウ

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 1 · 3 strokes

The story

Three lines unite heaven, earth, and humanity: the sacred number in Japanese tradition.

The Japanese word for three also means "mountain" in another reading

Where it comes from

Ideographic (指事文字): Three horizontal strokes: three.

Three lines for three, but this is where the counting-by-lines system stops. Four lines would look too similar to three, so ancient scribes invented a completely different character for four (四).

To remember it: Three lines = three. Middle line is shortest, bottom line is longest.

Its parts

三 Three · Entire character

Three horizontal strokes: the number three

Words with 三

三角 (さんかく, sankaku): triangle

Example sentences

三時に会いましょう。 Let's meet at three o'clock.
三つの選択肢があります。 There are three choices.

Kanji that look like 三

二 (two): Just count the lines: 二 has two, 三 has three

More from Ancient Counting

Learn 三 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji