ChiramiN5 kanji · 3 strokes
三 means three
三
三Real origin
Three lines: three.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meaning
- three
- JLPT level
- N5
- Strokes
- 3
- School grade
- Grade 1 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) み mi
み (mi) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: みつ mitsu, みっつ mittsu
From Chinese (onyomi) サン san
サン (san) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: ゾウ zou
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
三つ みっつ · mittsu
three
Built from
- 一 one
- 二 two
Quick check
What does 三 mean?
Right: 三 means three.Not quite: 三 means three.In 三つ, which reading does 三 use?
Right. 三つ is read みっつ (mittsu): 三 takes みっ, its Japanese reading, with つ after it.Not quite. 三つ is read みっつ (mittsu): 三 takes みっ, its Japanese reading, with つ after it.