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三長兩短. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
三長兩短, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
三長兩短 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
三長兩短 you have here. The definition of the word
三長兩短 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
三長兩短, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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three
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long; length; forever long; length; forever; always; constantly; chief; head; elder; to grow; to develop |
both; two; some both; two; some; a few; tael |
lack; short
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| trad. (三長兩短)
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三
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長
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兩
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短
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| simp. (三长两短)
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三
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长
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两
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短
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Etymology
Extended from 長短／长短 (chángduǎn), which already has the meaning of “mishap”. 三 and 兩／两 are two arbitrary numbers which can also mean “some” (see 二三 (èrsān) and 三兩／三两 (sānliǎng)).
Folk etymology states that the term is a euphemism referring to a coffin, which consists of 3 pieces of long and 2 pieces of short wood excluding the cover.
Pronunciation
Idiom
三長兩短
- unexpected misfortune; unexpected accident; sudden death
References
“Entry #144750”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.