Chinese Character Dictionary

三分熟

sān fēn shú

cooked three minutes

三分钟热度

sān fēn zhōng rè dù

brief period of enthusiasm

三包

sān bāo

"three-guarantee service": repair, exchange, refund

三十

sān shí

thirty

三十二位元

sān shí èr wèi yuán

32-bit (computing)

三十八度线

sān shí bā dù xiàn

thirty eighth parallel

三十六字母

sān shí liù zì mŭ

thirty six initial consonants of Song phonetic theory

三十六计

sān shí liù jì

The Thirty-Six Stratagems, a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and in civil interaction

三十六计，走为上策

sān shí liù jì , zŏu wéi shàng cè

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best.

三十而立

sān shí ér lì

thirty years old and therefore independent (idiom, from Confucius)

三原

Sān yuán

Sanyuan County in Xianyang 咸陽|咸阳[Xián yáng], Shaanxi

三原则

sān yuán zé

the Three Principles (in many contexts)

三原县

Sān yuán Xiàn

Sanyuan County in Xianyang 咸陽|咸阳[Xián yáng], Shaanxi

三叉戟

sān chā jĭ

trident

三叉神经

sān chā shén jīng

trigeminal nerve

三反

sān făn

"Three Anti" campaign (anti-corruption, anti-waste, anti-bureaucracy), early PRC purge of 191-2

三反运动

sān făn yùn dòng

"Three Anti" campaign (anti-corruption, anti-waste, anti-bureaucracy), early PRC purge of 191-2

三句话不离本行

sān jù huà bù lí bĕn háng

to talk shop all the time (idiom)

三台

Sān tái

Santai county in Mianyang 綿陽|绵阳[Mián yáng], north Sichuan

三台县

Sān tái xiàn

Santai county in Mianyang 綿陽|绵阳[Mián yáng], north Sichuan

三合一

sān hé yī

three in one

三合一疫苗

sān hé yī yì miáo

DTP vaccination

三合土

sān hé tŭ

mortar

三合星

sān hé xīng

triple star system

三合会

Sān hé huì

Triads, organized crime society

三味线

sān wèi xiàn

shamisen, three-stringed Japanese musical instrument

三和弦

sān hé xián

triad

三国

Sān guó

Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in Chinese history

三国史记

Sān guó shĭ jì

History of Three Kingdoms (Korean: Samguk Sagi), the oldest extant Korean history, compiled under Kim Busik 金富軾|金富轼[Jīn Fù shì] in 114. The three kingdoms are Goguryeo 高句麗|高句丽[Gāo gōu lí], Baekje 百濟|百济[Băi jì], Silla 新羅|新罗[Xīn luó].

三国志

Sān guó zhì

History of the Three Kingdoms, fourth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史[Er4 shí sì Shĭ], composed by Chen Shou 陳壽|陈寿[Chén Shòu] in 289 during Jin Dynasty 晉朝|晋朝[Jìn cháo], 6 scrolls

三国演义

Sān guó Yăn yì

Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong 羅貫中|罗贯中[Luó Guàn zhōng], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature

三围

sān wéi

BWH, abbr. for a woman's three measurements, namely: bust 胸圍|胸围[xiōng wéi], waist 腰圍|腰围[yāo wéi] and hip 臀圍|臀围[tún wéi]

三地门

Sān dì mén

Santimen township in Pingtung County 屏東縣|屏东县[Píng dōng Xiàn], Taiwan

三地门乡

Sān dì mén xiāng

Santimen township in Pingtung County 屏東縣|屏东县[Píng dōng Xiàn], Taiwan

三天不打，上房揭瓦

sān tiān bù dă , shàng fáng jiē wă

three days without a beating, and a child will scale the roof to rip the tiles (idiom)

三天两头

sān tiān liăng tóu

lit. twice every three days (idiom); practically every day

三天打鱼，两天晒网

sān tiān dă yú , liăng tiān shài wăng

lit. to fish for three days and sun-dry the nets for two days (proverb)

三夷教

sān yí jiào

the three foreign religions (Nestorianism, Manicheanism and Zoroastrianism)

三姑六婆

sān gū liù pó

women with disreputable or illegal professions (idiom)

三字经

Sān zì jīng

Three character classic, a 13th century reading primer consisting of Confucian tenets in lines of 3 characters

三官大帝

sān guān dà dì

the three gods in charge of heaven, earth and water (Daoism)

三家村

Sān jiā cūn

lit. village of three households

三宝

sān băo

the Three Precious Treasures of Buddhism, namely: the Buddha 佛, the Dharma 法 (his teaching), and the Sangha 僧 (his monastic order)

三寸不烂之舌

sān cùn bù làn zhī shé

to have a silver tongue

三对三斗牛

sān duì sān dòu niú

three-on-three basketball game

三尖杉酯碱

sān jiān shān zhĭ jiăn

harringtonine (chemistry)

三屉桌

sān tí zhuō

three-drawer desk (traditional Chinese piece of furniture)

三山

Sān shān

Sanshan district of Wuhu city 蕪湖市|芜湖市[Wú hú shì], Anhui

三山区

Sān shān qū

Sanshan district of Wuhu city 蕪湖市|芜湖市[Wú hú shì], Anhui

三岔口

Sān chà kŏu

At the Crossroads, famous opera, based on a story from 水滸傳|水浒传[Shuĭ hŭ Zhuàn]

三岛由纪夫

Sān dăo Yóu jì fū

Mishima Yukio (192-1970), Japanese author, pen name of (平岡公威|平冈公威, Hiraoka Kimitake)

三峡

Sān Xiá

Three Gorges on the Changjiang or Yangtze, namely: Qutang Gorge 瞿塘峽|瞿塘峡[Qū táng Xiá], Wuxia Gorge 巫峽|巫峡[Wū Xiá] and Xiling Gorge 西陵峽|西陵峡[Xī líng Xiá]

三峡大坝

Sān Xiá Dà bà

Three Gorges Dam

三峡库

Sān xiá kù

Three gorges reservoir on the Changjiang or Yangtze

三峡水库

Sān xiá shuĭ kù

Three gorges reservoir on the Changjiang or Yangtze

三峡镇

Sān xiá zhèn

Sanxia or Sanhsia town in New Taipei City 新北市[Xīn bĕi shì], Taiwan

三度

sān dù

third (musical interval)

三厢

sān xiāng

sedan (automobile body type)

三废

sān fèi

three types of waste product, namely: waste water 廢水|废水[fèi shuĭ], exhaust gas 廢氣|废气[fèi qì], industrial slag 廢渣|废渣[fèi zhā]

三弦

sān xián

sanxian, large family of 3-stringed plucked musical instruments, with snakeskin covered wooden soundbox and long neck, used in folk music, opera and Chinese orchestra