三

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 三 (sān) for "three" is composed of two horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke. The two horizontal strokes represent the sky and the earth, while the vertical stroke represents a person standing between them. This symbolizes the concept of "three realms" in Chinese philosophy: heaven, earth, and humanity.The character 三 has been used in Chinese writing for over 3,000 years. It is one of the most common characters in the Chinese language, and it is used in a variety of words and phrases. For example, the word 三人行 (sān rén xíng) means "three people walking together", while the phrase 三思而后行 (sān sī ér hòu xíng) means "think three times before acting".The character 三 is also used in Chinese names. For example, the name 三国 (Sān Guó) refers to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history, while the name 三峡 (Sān Xiá) refers to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.The character 三 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language. It is a symbol of the concept of "three realms", and it is used in a variety of words, phrases, and names.