三

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 三人で行きます。▶ —
   Three of us are going.
2. 三月生まれです。▶ —
   I was born in March.

Collocations

Mnemonic

San (三) is the on-yomi reading of three in Japanese. The Yamato readings are mittsu (3 items) and mikka (3rd of month or three days). The split: on-yomi pairs with counters — sannin (3 people), sanji (3 oclock), sangatsu (March), while mittsu / mikka stand on their own. The number carries strong cultural meaning: sanmi-ittai (Trinity), sankaku (triangle), and the proverb san nin yore-ba monju no chie (three minds together yield Bodhisattva Monjus wisdom — same nuance as English two heads are better than one), encoding three as the smallest meaningful collective. Mikka bouzu (three-day monk) was covered earlier. The Three Sacred Treasures (san-shu no jingi — bronze mirror, sword, jewel) are the imperial regalia. Sangokushi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chinese classic) was popularized in Japan through Yoshikawa Eijis 1939-1948 novel. The kanji 三 is shared across the Sinosphere with readings sam (Sino-Korean), san (Chinese), san (Japanese).

Quick check

1. Equivalent of "san nin yore-ba monju no chie"?

   • English "two heads are better than one" (collective wisdom)
   • English "the early bird gets the worm"
   • English "actions speak louder"
   • English "no pain no gain"