1.
third floor
The third story of a multi-story building. Note that in Japan (as in most of Asia), the first floor (一階) is the ground floor, so 三階 corresponds to what would be the 'second floor' in British English.
事務所は三階にある。
The office is on the third floor.
エレベーターで三階まで上がってください。
Please take the elevator up to the third floor.
デパートの三階婦人服売り場でセールが始まった。
A sale has begun in the third-floor women's clothing section of the department store.
三 (three) + 階 (floor, story). The reading of 階 undergoes rendaku to がい after 三.
READING NOTE:
Both さんがい and さんかい are heard, but さんがい is the traditional and more common reading. The non-rendaku さんかい is increasingly used by younger speakers, especially because the homophone 三回 (three times) is read with the same さんかい — this can cause confusion in speech.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 三階建て: three-story (building)
- 三階に上がる: to go up to the third floor
- 三階の窓: third-floor window
COUNTING FLOORS:
- 一階: first floor (ground floor)
- 二階: second floor
- 三階: third floor
- 四階: fourth floor
- 五階: fifth floor