3 in Chinese = 三 (sān)

The number 3 in Chinese is pronounced "sahn" (like "son" but with an "ah" sound, with a high level tone), written in pinyin as "sān", and the character is 三.

Quick Answer

Pronunciation

Sān (三) uses Mandarin's first tone—the "high level tone." Your voice stays high and flat throughout the sound.

Step by step:

1. Start at a high pitch (higher than your normal speaking voice)
2. Hold that pitch steady throughout
3. Say "sahn" (rhymes with "dawn" but with an "s" at the beginning) while keeping your voice high and flat

Common mistakes:

• Pronouncing it like English "sun"—it should be "sahn" with an "ah" sound
• Letting your voice drop or waver—it should stay perfectly level
• Not making it high enough—the first tone is distinctly high

The Character 三

The Chinese character 三 consists of three horizontal strokes stacked on top of each other. It visually represents the concept of "three" with three lines.

In traditional Chinese, you'll see the same character 三. This character is identical in simplified and traditional forms.

Cultural Significance

The number 3 has deep cultural and philosophical meaning in Chinese culture:

"Three gives birth to all things": From the Tao Te Ching: "One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things" (一生二，二生三，三生万物). The number 3 represents multiplicity and abundance.

Generally positive:

• Represents growth, expansion, and life
• Considered a good number, though not as explicitly lucky as 8 or 9
• Often used in auspicious contexts

Cultural patterns:

• Chinese culture often groups things in threes
• "Three times" (三次) is a common pattern for emphasis
• Many traditional concepts come in threes (三国演义 - Three Kingdoms, 三字经 - Three Character Classic)

Practical Usage

Counting: When counting objects, 三 is used with measure words:

• 三个 (sān gè) = three (general items)
• 三本书 (sān běn shū) = three books
• 三杯茶 (sān bēi chá) = three cups of tea
• Learn numbers 一, 二, 三, 四, 五

Prices:

• 3元 = 三块 (sān kuài) - in spoken Chinese
• 30元 = 三十元 (sān shí yuán)
• 300元 = 三百元 (sān bǎi yuán)

Times and dates:

• 3:00 = 三点 (sān diǎn)
• March = 三月 (sān yuè)
• Wednesday = 星期三 (xīng qī sān)
• The 3rd day = 三号 (sān hào)

Phone numbers: When giving phone numbers, each digit is pronounced separately. Three is always 三 (sān).

Regional Variations

The pronunciation of 三 (sān) remains consistent across Mandarin-speaking regions, but other Chinese dialects have their own pronunciations:

Cantonese: sāam¹ (sounds like "sahm") Hokkien/Taiwanese: saⁿ Shanghainese: se

If you're in mainland China, Taiwan, or Singapore speaking Mandarin, stick with sān.

Common Phrases with 3

三天 (sān tiān): Three days

第三 (dì sān): Third, number three

三明治 (sān míng zhì): Sandwich

三角形 (sān jiǎo xíng): Triangle

三思而后行 (sān sī ér hòu xíng): Think three times before acting (look before you leap)

再三 (zài sān): Again and again, repeatedly

张三李四 (zhāng sān lǐ sì): Any Tom, Dick, or Harry (literally "Zhang Three, Li Four" - referring to common people)

不三不四 (bù sān bù sì): Dubious, shady, neither one thing nor another

Quick Takeaways

• 3 in Chinese is 三 (sān) with a high flat first tone
• It's pronounced like "sahn" (rhymes with "dawn") with a steady high pitch
• The character has three horizontal strokes representing "three"
• Three represents growth and abundance in Chinese philosophy
• It's generally a positive number in Chinese culture
• Used extensively in idioms and cultural expressions
• Proper pronunciation requires the "ah" sound, not the "uh" sound in English "sun"

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If you're in China and need to hear how three sounds in different contexts, TravelNum shows you exactly how any number is pronounced in Chinese.