How to say "third" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounA katakana loanword, used where the English term is carried over as is; in baseball it refers to third base and the third baseman. It is not the word for counting a third item.
- 三次さんじno-adjectiveThe 'third' of technical language, used above all in mathematics for the sense of degree or order. For counting a third item it is not the word you want.
- 三度さんどnounThe musical term for the interval of a third, the span across three degrees of the scale counting the starting note, as in a major or a minor third.
Use 「サード」 where 'third' is carried over straight from English, as in baseball; 三次 for the technical 'third' of degree or order in mathematics; and 三度 for the musical interval of a third.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
