三分

sānfēn

noun #9,685

Meanings

HSK 5

他投了一个三分球。

Tā tóu le yī gè sānfēnqiú.

He shot a three-pointer.

HSK 5

这件事我只有三分把握。

Zhè jiàn shì wǒ zhǐyǒu sānfēn bǎwò.

I'm only about 30% confident about this.

usage

三分 often appears in the sports phrase 三分球 (three-pointer) or in expressions like 三分热度 (three-minute enthusiasm - giving up quickly).

grammar

When used figuratively, 三分 means 'a small degree' on a ten-point scale: 七分靠努力，三分靠运气 (70% effort, 30% luck).

三 sān

分 fēn