Onyomi: サン, ゾウ · Kunyomi: み, み.つ, みっ.つ · Meanings: three
Kanji for three
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 三.
The kanji 三 comes from three horizontal lines stacked evenly, representing the number three. In ancient counting systems, these simple lines conveyed order, balance, and completeness. It’s one of the earliest and most straightforward kanji, showing how numbers were depicted visually. 三 symbolizes stability and progression — the foundation for counting and understanding the world.
Three straight lines stacked neatly — 三 means three, a number of balance, order, and simplicity.
Picture three lines standing one above the other — that’s 三, the number three, clear, stable, and complete.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 三 | さん | three, 3 | common JLPT-N1 JLPT-N5 Numeric |
| 三 | サン | three | JLPT-N5 Numeric |
| 三つ | みっつ | three | common JLPT-N5 Numeric |
| 三味線 | しゃみせん | shamisen, samisen, three-stringed Japanese lute | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| ３日 | みっか | 3rd day of the month | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 三鞭酒 | シャンパン | champagne | common Noun |
| 三振 | さんしん | strikeout, strike out, fanning out | common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 三塁打 | さんるいだ | three-base hit, triple | common Noun |
| 三段跳び | さんだんとび | triple jump, hop, step and jump | Noun |
| 三枚 | さんまい | three flat objects (sheets of paper, pieces of cloth, etc.) | common Noun |