三
三 (sān) means “three”. It is made of 一 + 二 and has 3 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
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)
三 stroke order
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?
Words with 三
Also built with 一
- 七qīseven
- 万wànten thousand
- 丈zhànggentleman
- 上shàngon
- 下xiàdown
- 不bùnot
- 与yǔand
- 专zhuānconcentrated
- 且qiěmoreover
- 丘qiūmound
- 丙bǐngthird
- 业yèbusiness
Quick facts
| Pinyin | sān |
|---|---|
| Meaning | three |
| Strokes | 3 |
| Radical | 一 (one, #1) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 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 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Learn 三 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 18: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.