三叶 (sānyè): three leaves; trefoil

Meanings

1 three leaves; trefoil
2 (in compounds) three-leaf-, trifoliate
3 (name element) Mitsuba (Japanese given name)

Characters

三

Examples

三叶草是幸运的象征。

Sānyècǎo shì xìngyùn de xiàngzhēng.

The three-leaf clover is a symbol of luck.

三叶虫是远古的海洋生物。

Sānyèchóng shì yuǎngǔ de hǎiyáng shēngwù.

Trilobites are ancient marine creatures.

Tips

usage

Almost always seen as the head of a compound: 三叶草 sānyècǎo (clover/shamrock), 三叶虫 sānyèchóng (trilobite — literally 'three-lobe-bug'), 三叶神剑 (a martial-arts movie title). Also the Chinese rendering of the Japanese name Mitsuba (三葉/三叶), most famously for the heroine of Makoto Shinkai's 你的名字。 (Your Name).