三 — how to write the kanji for “three”
三 (“three”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in first grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (14th). It is also where katakana ミ came from. Its parts: 一 (“one”, its radical), stroke 1; 一 (“one”, its radical), stroke 2; 一 (“one”, its radical), stroke 3, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word san, “three; 3”. Read san, it forms 三人 (“three people”), 三十 (“thirty”) and 三月 (“March”); the native reading mi gives 三つ (“three”) and 三十日 (“last day of the month”). Chinese reads it sān, “three”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 3
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 一 (“one”)
- On
- サン, ゾウ
- Kun
- み·つ, みっ·つ, み
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 3 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Kana from 三
- Katakana ミ, one part of the kanji
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- サン san, ゾウ zou (rare)
- Kun (native)
- み·つ mi-tsu, みっ·つ mi-ttsu, み mi (rare)
- Meanings
- three
- Read san
- 三人 三十 三月 十三 三千 三百
- Read mi
- 三つ 三十日
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 14th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 삼 sam
- Common words
- 50 in JMdict
Words with 三
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 三人 | さんにん sannin | three people |
| 三十 | さんじゅう sanjuu | thirty; 30 |
| 三月 | さんがつ sangatsu | March; third month of the lunar calendar |
| 十三 | じゅうさん juusan | thirteen; 13 |
| 三つ | みっつ mittsu | three; three years of age |
| 三千 | さんぜん sanzen | 3000; three thousand |
| 三百 | さんびゃく sanbyaku | 300; three hundred |
| 三十日 | みそか misoka | last day of the month |
| 三塁 | さんるい sanrui | third base |
| 三役 | さんやく san'yaku | three highest ranks (wrestling, unions, etc.); three parts |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: