三

三 — three

Learn the correct stroke order for 三 (three), a 3-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 13 strokes

Stroke Order

Stroke 0 / 3

On'yomi (音読み)サンsan、ゾウzou

Kun'yomi (訓読み)みmi、み.つmitsu、みっ.つmittsu

Strokes3

Radical一

Frequency#14

Meaningsthree

Step-by-Step Diagram

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 3 — start from the green dot

Common Words

再三さいさんagain and again; repeatedlyadverb

三つみっつthreenumeral

三回さんかいthree timesnoun

三角さんかくtriangle; triangular shapenoun

三月さんがつMarchnoun

三権さんけんthe three powers of government (legislative, executive and judicial)noun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 三 (three) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 3 strokes with radical 一.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 三 is #14, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

再三さいさん — again and again; repeatedly

三つみっつ — three

三回さんかい — three times

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (一)

一one 七seven 丁street 上above 下below 与bestow 万ten thousand 丈length

Same reading

山mountain

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 三 have?

The kanji 三 (three) has 3 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 三?

三 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 三 mean?

三 means: three. On'yomi readings: サン, ゾウ. Kun'yomi readings: み, み.つ, みっ.つ.

What JLPT level is 三?

三 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.