三
三 (sān) means “three”. It is made of 一 + 二 and has 3 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word.
Break 三 into its parts
What 三 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: Three parallel lines; compare 一 (one) and 二 (two) (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我有三个哥哥。Wǒ yǒu sān gè gēge.I have three older brothers.
现在三点了吗？Xiànzài sān diǎn le ma?Is it three o'clock yet?
Also built with 一
Quick facts
| Pinyin | sān |
|---|---|
| Meaning | three |
| Strokes | 3 |
| Radical | 一 (one, #1) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 3.0 · Level 1 · HSK 2.0 · Level 1 |
Questions about 三
What does 三 mean?
三 (sān) means “three”.
How many strokes does 三 have?
三 has 3 strokes.
What is the radical of 三?
The radical of 三 is 一 (yī, “one”), Kangxi radical number 1.
What parts make up 三?
三 is made of 一 (horizontal stroke) and 二 (two strokes).
Which HSK level is 三?
三 is in HSK 3.0 · Level 1 and HSK 2.0 · Level 1.
Learn 三 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 · Group 18: 10 words with quick checks and spaced repeats.