三千(さんぜん)

さんぜん
number
three thousand
1. three thousand
The number three thousand. Note the sound change: さん + せん becomes さんぜん (the せ becomes voiced to ぜ).
三千(さんぜん)円(えん)です。
It's three thousand yen.
この時計(とけい)は三千(さんぜん)円(えん)でした。
This watch was three thousand yen.
三千(さんぜん)人(にん)の学生(がくせい)がいます。
There are three thousand students.
富士山(ふじさん)は三千(さんぜん)メートル以上(いじょう)あります。
Mt. Fuji is over three thousand meters tall.
この町(まち)には三千(さんぜん)年(ねん)の歴史(れきし)があります。とても古(ふる)い町(まち)です。
This town has three thousand years of history. It's a very old town.

The number three thousand. Features a sound change (rendaku) where せん becomes ぜん.

PRONUNCIATION:
さん + せん → さんぜん (the initial せ voices to ぜ). This is one of the irregular thousands.

THOUSANDS WITH SOUND CHANGES:

  • 一千(いっせん) (1,000): っ insertion
  • 三千(さんぜん) (3,000): voicing (ぜ)
  • 八千(はっせん) (8,000): っ insertion

All other thousands (二千(にせん), 四千(よんせん), 五千(ごせん), 六千(ろくせん), 七千(ななせん), 九千(きゅうせん)) keep the regular せん sound.

COMMON USAGE:

  • 三千(さんぜん)円(えん): 3,000 yen
  • 三千(さんぜん)人(にん): 3,000 people
  • 三千(さんぜん)メートル: 3,000 meters
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:44 · Revised 2026.3.25 21:24
00500/00985_sanzen