さん

three

JLPT N5

Character Breakdown

Basic Meaning and Usage

The character (sān) is the number three in Chinese. It is used in counting, dates, quantities, and many common expressions. It is one of the first numbers learned by beginners and appears frequently in daily conversation.

Common Collocations

These collocations show how combines with measure words and time expressions to specify exact quantities.

Usage Notes

is always used as a cardinal number. When counting objects, it is followed by a measure word (, , etc.). It can also appear in dates and time expressions. Unlike some other numbers, does not change form or pronunciation in different contexts.

Avoiding Confusion

Do not confuse with similar-looking characters like (shàng) or (shān). Also, is different from the ordinal number "third" which is (dì sān). alone only means the number three.

Example Sentences

There are three people in my family.

He bought three books.

We will travel three days later.