Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | There’s no two without three |
| English translation | Three times is a charm |
| Meaning | If something has happened twice, there’s a good chance it will happen a third time |
Example
| Ci siamo già incrociati per strada due volte stamattina. – Capiterà ancora. Non c’è due senza tre. | We have already crossed paths twice this morning. – It will happen again. Three times is a charm. |
Where does this idiom come from?
Three has been considered to be a magic number in folklore and by famous philosophers. Since three is considered the perfect number, it’s as if the balance can only be found in threes. So if something happens twice, it’s almost bound to happen a third time. There is also the proverb non c’è due senza tre e il quarto vien da sé, which is often used as a lucky charm: if something good has happened three times, it may very well happen a fourth time!
Related lessons
- essere (to be)
- due (two)
- tre (three)
- senza (without)
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