How common it is
三 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say sān slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
三表示数字3。
sān biǎo shì shù zì 3。
三 means the number 3.
Context note
三常用于数数、年龄和数量。
sān cháng yòng yú shuò shuò 、 nián líng hé shù liàng。
三 is often used for counting, age, and quantity.
5 examples
我有三本书。
wǒ yǒu sān běn shū。
I have three books.
三个人在门口。
sān gè rén zài mén kǒu。
Three people are at the door.
我三岁。
wǒ sān suì。
I am three years old.
请给我三个苹果。
qǐng gěi wǒ sān gè píng guǒ。
Please give me three apples.
三只猫在窗边。
sān zhī māo zài chuāng biān。
Three cats are by the window.
5 mini stories
今天我数到三。然后我开始读书。
jīn tiān wǒ shù dào sān。 rán hòu wǒ kāi shǐ dú shū。
Today I counted to three. Then I started reading.
桌子上有三本书。它们都是中文书。
zhuō zi shàng yǒu sān běn shū。 tā men dōu shì zhōng wén shū。
There are three books on the table. They are all Chinese books.
妹妹今年三岁。她很喜欢画画。
mèi mei jīn nián sān suì。 tā hěn xǐ huan huà huà。
My younger sister is three this year. She likes drawing very much.
老师让我们把三盒彩笔放好。
lǎo shī ràng wǒ men bǎ sān hé cǎi bǐ fàng hǎo。
The teacher asked us to put away three boxes of crayons.
三只小鸟站在树上。它们一起唱歌。
sān zhī xiǎo niǎo zhàn zài shù shàng。 tā men yì qǐ chàng gē。
Three little birds are on the tree. They sing together.