How to Write 三 (sān) — Meaning “three”

Think of three horizontal lines as a simple drawing for the number three, like three stacked pancakes. Alternatively, imagine writing the digit '3' three times, but then flatten them into lines.

Write the three strokes from top to bottom, each one horizontal and slightly shorter than the one below. A common mistake is making the middle stroke too long or unevenly spaced — keep all strokes parallel and evenly apart.

一 is a single horizontal stroke meaning 'one', while 三 has three strokes. 丁 looks like a T shape (a horizontal stroke with a vertical hook) and means 'nail' or 'male adult', so it is visually and semantically very different.

三 is used for counting (e.g., 三个 for 'three items'), months (三月 for March), and days (三天 for 'three days'). In Chinese culture, three is often considered lucky because it sounds like 'life' or 'growth' in some dialects.

Common words containing 三 include: 三个 (sān gè) — three (of something); 三月 (sān yuè) — March; 三天 (sān tiān) — three days.