三人成虎

Chinese

		three	man; person; people	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	tiger
trad. (三人成虎)		三	人	成	虎
simp. #(三人成虎)		三	人	成	虎

Etymology

A tale in Zhan Guo Ce:

龐葱與太子質於邯鄲，謂魏王曰：「今一人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「否。」「二人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人疑之矣。」「三人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人信之矣。」龐葱曰：「夫市之無虎明矣，然而三人言而成虎。今邯鄲去大梁也遠於市，而議臣者過於三人矣。願王察之矣。」王曰：「寡人自為知。」於是辭行，而讒言先至。後太子罷質，果不得見。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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庞葱与太子质于邯郸，谓魏王曰：「今一人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「否。」「二人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人疑之矣。」「三人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人信之矣。」庞葱曰：「夫市之无虎明矣，然而三人言而成虎。今邯郸去大梁也远于市，而议臣者过于三人矣。愿王察之矣。」王曰：「寡人自为知。」于是辞行，而谗言先至。后太子罢质，果不得见。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

Páng Cōng yǔ tàizǐ zhì yú Hándān, wèi Wèi wáng yuē: “Jīn yī rén yán shì yǒu hǔ, wáng xìn zhī hū?” Wáng yuē: “Fǒu.” “èr rén yán shì yǒu hǔ, wáng xìn zhī hū?” Wáng yuē: “Guǎrén yí zhī yǐ.” “sān rén yán shì yǒu hǔ, wáng xìn zhī hū?” Wáng yuē: “Guǎrén xìn zhī yǐ.” Páng Cōng yuē: “Fú shì zhī wú hǔ míng yǐ, rán'ér sānrén yán ér chénghǔ. Jīn Hándān qù Dàliáng yě yuǎn yú shì, ér yì chén zhě guò yú sān rén yǐ. Yuàn wáng chá zhī yǐ.” Wáng yuē: “Guǎrén zì wéi zhī.” Yúshì cíxíng, ér chányán xiān zhì. Hòu tàizǐ bà zhì, guǒ bùdé jiàn. [Pinyin]

Pang Cong (the minister to the king of Wei) and the crown prince were to become hostages at Handan. He asked the king of Wei, "Now if one person said that there was a tiger in the market, would Your Majesty believe it?" The king said, "No." "If two people said that there was a tiger in the market, would Your Majesty believe it?" The king responded, "I would be suspicious about it." "If three people said that there was a tiger in the market, would Your Majesty believe it?" The king replied, "I would believe it." Pang Cong said, "Though it is clear that there is no tiger in the market, nevertheless three people saying so produces the tiger. Now then, Handan is further away from Daliang (the capital of Wei) than the market, and the number of people that will slander me will be more than three. I hope that Your Majesty sees that!" The king said, "I already know." Thus, he bid the king farewell, but the slander had already started. Later on, the crown prince was released, but Pang Cong was not granted an audience the king.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sānrénchénghǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄏㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ jan⁴ sing⁴ fu²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sānrénchénghǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄏㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sanrénchénghǔ
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-jên²-chʻêng²-hu³
    • Yale: sān-rén-chéng-hǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sanrenchernghuu
    • Palladius: саньжэньчэнху (sanʹžɛnʹčɛnxu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ jan⁴ sing⁴ fu²
    • Yale: sāam yàhn sìhng fú
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ jan⁴ sing⁴ fu²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ yen⁴ xing⁴ fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ sɪŋ²¹ fuː³⁵/

Proverb

三人成虎

1. What you are told three times is true. If something is repeated by many individuals, it will be accepted as truth.

Descendants

• → Japanese: 三人虎を成す

See also

• argumentum ad nauseam