Non c’è due senza tre

Non c’è due senza tre in Italian

Literal translationThere’s no two without three
MeaningIf something has happened twice, there’s a good chance it will happen a third time
IPA pronunciation/non t͡ʃɛ ˈduːe ˈsentsa tre/

Non c’è due senza tre
Three times is a charm

Where does this 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!

three women dressed the same

For example, you can say…

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.


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