Meaning

Primary

Three People

Alternative

Three Persons

Word Type

noun

Explanation

You have the kanji for three and person. Common sense will tell you what this word is. It's three people.

Reading

さんにん
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo (kanji compound) word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. Since has two on'yomi readings, here's a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:

Apparently, there are three people working as Santa-san at Nintendo (さんにん)! It's a big company, so obviously they need three Santas.

Context

Pattern of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 三人のおじさん

    three middle-aged men

    三人のため

    for the three people, for the three of us

    三人のランナー

    three runners

Context Sentences

三人のルームメイトがいます。

I have three roommates.

三人のテーブルありますか?

Is there a table for three?

ニコラス・ケイジ、キアヌ・リーブス、トム・クルーズ。この三人で、だれがタイプ?

Nicholas Cage, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Cruise. Out of these three, who's your type?

Kanji Composition