三位(さんい)

さんい
noun
third place; third rank
1. third place; third rank; bronze medal position
The third position in a ranking, competition, or hierarchy. In sporting events, third place typically receives a bronze medal.
三位(さんい)に入賞(にゅうしょう)した。
She placed third.
今季(こんき)のリーグ戦(せん)で三位(さんい)に終(お)わった。
They finished third in this season's league.
オリンピックで三位(さんい)に入(はい)り、銅(どう)メダルを獲得(かくとく)したことは大(おお)きな誇(ほこ)りだ。
Placing third at the Olympics and winning a bronze medal is a great source of pride.

Part of the ordinal ranking series: 一位(いちい) (first), 二位(にい) (second), 三位(さんい) (third), 四位(よんい) (fourth), etc. The counter 位(い) is used for rankings and placings.

In historical contexts, 三位(さんみ) (read さんみ) refers to the third rank in the ancient court ranking system (位階(いかい)), as in 従三位(じゅさんみ) (Junior Third Rank). The modern reading さんい is used for competitive rankings.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 三位(さんい)に入(はい)る: to place third
  • 三位(さんい)に入賞(にゅうしょう)する: to win third place (formal)
  • 三位(さんい)決定戦(けっていせん): third-place match; bronze medal match
  • 三位(さんい)一体(いったい): the Trinity (Christian theology)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 三番(さんばん): third (in a sequence) — for ordering, not competitive ranking
  • 三等(さんとう): third class; third grade — for quality/class distinctions
  • 一位(いちい): first place — the top rank

Related Words

Related: 一位(いちい)
general
Added 2026.4.30 21:13
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