san

From Lesson 69:Numbers up to 10·Japanese

Breakdown of san

three

Usages of san

ななじゅう さんnanazyuu san
73
さんじゅうsanzyuu
30
さんびゃくsanbyaku
300
さんにんsannin
three people
さんかいsankai
three times
さんはん です。sanzihan desu.
It is half past three o'clock.
さんがつsangatu
March
さんさいsansai
three years old
さんsanzi
3:00
さんぷんsanpun
three minutes
みっmittu
three (objects)
さんまいsanmai
three flat, thin objects
さんまい の しゃしん が ほしい です。sanmai no syasin ga hosii desu.
I want three photos.
しゃしん さんまい が ほしい です。syasin sanmai ga hosii desu.
I want three photos.
いちまん せん ひゃく よんじゅう さんitiman gosen gohyaku yonzyuu san
15,543
さんじゅうさんまん さんぜん さんびゃく さんじゅう さんsanzyuusanman sanzen sanbyaku sanzyuu san
333,333
さんぜんsanzen
3,000
さんまんsanman
thirty thousand
みっmikka
day three; three days
とても つかれて います よ。 さんかん だけ ました。totemo tukarete imasu yo. sanzikan dake nemasita.
I'm really tired. I only slept for three hours.
さんぼんsanbon
three long, cylindrical objects
ビール を さんぼん ください。biiru wo sanbon kudasai.
Please give me three bottles of beer.
さんにん の きょうだい が います。sannin no kyoudai ga imasu.
(I) have three siblings.
さんかいsankai
third floor
この テープ の ながさ は さん メートル です。kono teepu no nagasa ha san meetoru desu.
The length of this tape is three meters.
ミーティング は さん まで に わる でしょう。miithingu ha sanzi made ni owaru desyou.
The meeting will probably end by 3 o'clock.
わたし の かいしゃ は この ビル の さんかい に あります。watasi no kaisya ha kono biru no sankai ni arimasu.
My company is on the third floor of this building.
ちゃ を さんばい ください。otya wo sanbai kudasai.
Three cups of tea, please.
した、  さん ごろ に えき で いましょう。asita, gogo sanzi goro ni eki de aimasyou.
Let's meet at the station around 3 p.m. tomorrow.

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Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".

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