num.
The cardinal number 3, represented by three stacked horizontal strokes. Three; also "several" or "many" in idioms (e.g., 三思而行, repeatedly).
三
Common Usage & Traps
- 三块钱 — three yuan (the everyday way to say it)
- 三个人 — three people
- 三点 — three o'clock
- 三十 — thirty (three tens)
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三个块钱三块钱块 already counts the money, so 个 has nothing left to count. Stacking two counters sounds broken.
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三书三本书书 is a plain object noun, so it needs its own counting word, 本. Chinese never lets a bare noun take a number.
Why do people say 三块钱 but never 三个块钱?
块 is already the counting word for money, so 个 has no seat left.
Chinese shops count money with 块, and 块 is itself doing the counting-word job. So 三块钱 is already complete. Bolting 个 in front of 块 gives the number two counters and sounds broken to native ears. The same logic runs everywhere: 三个人 counts people with 个, and 三点 tells time with 点 doing the work.
“我有三块钱。” (I have three yuan.)
“我有三块钱。” (I have three yuan.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Counting yuan | 三块钱 | 三个块钱 |
| Counting people | 三个人 | 三人 (fine in headlines, stiff in speech) |
| Telling time | 三点 | 三个点 |
Why do beginners say 三十 when they mean thirteen?
Say the tens first: thirteen is 十三, thirty is 三十.
Chinese builds numbers front to back, biggest chunk first. Ten plus three gives 十三, while three tens give 三十. So 13 literally sounds like "ten-three" and 30 sounds like "three-ten". The pattern holds all the way up: 23 is 二十三, which reads "two ten three".
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | 十三 (ten-three) | 三十 |
| 30 | 三十 (three-ten) | 十三 |
| 23 | 二十三 (two-ten-three) | 三十三 |
Does 三 always mean exactly three?
Not always. In set phrases 三 means 'over and over', not three.
Chinese borrows 三 to mean "again and again" or "all over the place". In 三心二意 you are distracted and wishy-washy, not holding three hearts. In 三番五次 something happens repeatedly, and nobody is counting the rounds. For plain "a few", use 几 instead: 几个人 really does mean a few people.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Exact counting | 三块钱 always means 3 yuan | Assuming 三 always counts a real number |
| Set phrases | 三心二意 (distracted, wishy-washy) | Reading it as 'three hearts, two minds' |
| Plain 'a few' | 几个人 (a few people) | 三个人 when you just mean a few |
Appears in Stories 5 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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饺子七块五，包子五块 三 。
Think instant noodles are unhealthy? This HSK 6 article challenges common myths and reveals surprising facts about nutrition, oil, and salt in this convenient food.
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误会 三 ：含油量不利于健康我国一般著名品牌的油炸方便面的含油率为18%至20%，与国际上基本相同。
Shopping for fruit is a common daily task in China. Practice saying prices, counting items, and using simple shopping phrases while buying five apples for three yuan.
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我有 三 块钱。
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我买了 三 个小苹果，两个大苹果。
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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一二 三 四五，今天星期五。
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