sān rén chéng hǔ: 三人成虎 - Three Men Make a Tiger (A Rumor Repeated Becomes Fact)

• Keywords: sān rén chéng hǔ, san ren cheng hu, 三人成虎, three men make a tiger, Chinese idiom about rumors, power of repetition, fake news, misinformation, Chinese proverb, Chinese fable, illusory truth effect.
• Summary: “Sān rén chéng hǔ” (三人成虎) is a famous Chinese idiom that literally translates to “three men make a tiger.” It serves as a powerful warning that a lie, rumor, or absurd statement, if repeated by enough people, will eventually be accepted as fact. This ancient proverb is highly relevant today, perfectly illustrating the dangers of misinformation and the importance of critical thinking in the age of social media.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): sān rén chéng hǔ
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语) / Idiom
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A lie repeated often enough will be accepted as the truth.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine someone runs up to you and says, “There's a tiger loose in the city market!” You'd probably think they're crazy. A tiger in a crowded market is impossible. But then a second, unrelated person says the same thing. You start to get nervous. When a third person confirms the story, you're likely to panic and run, believing the impossible to be true. This is the core of `三人成虎`—it describes how repetition can override logic and make even the most preposterous claims seem credible.

• 三 (sān): The number “three.” In Chinese culture, three can represent “many” or a sufficient number to establish a pattern.
• 人 (rén): Person or people.
• 成 (chéng): To become, to form, to make into.
• 虎 (hǔ): Tiger. A symbol of something powerful, dangerous, and unbelievable in a city setting.

The characters literally combine to mean “three people become/make a tiger,” which directly references the famous story from which this idiom originates.

The story behind `三人成虎` comes from the ancient text *Zhan Guo Ce* (《战国策》 - Strategies of the Warring States), dating back over 2,000 years. A minister named Pang Cong (庞葱) from the state of Wei was about to be sent to the rival state of Zhao as a hostage. Before leaving, he asked the King of Wei: “If one person told you there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe it?” The King replied, “Of course not.” Pang Cong asked again, “If a second person said it, what would you think?” The King said, “I would begin to wonder.” Pang Cong then asked, “And if a third person said it?” The King admitted, “Then I would believe it.” Pang Cong then made his point: “Your Majesty, it is obvious there is no tiger in the marketplace, yet three people saying so makes you believe there is. The capital of Zhao is much farther away than the marketplace, and the number of people who will slander me in my absence is far more than three. I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully.” The King agreed, but when Pang Cong left, his rivals spread rumors about him. The King believed the slander, and when Pang Cong finally returned, the King refused to see him. Cultural Lesson & Western Comparison: This idiom is deeply embedded in the Chinese psyche as a warning against the power of gossip (流言蜚语, liúyán fēiyǔ) and the unreliability of hearsay. It teaches a lesson about critical thinking and not succumbing to group pressure. A similar Western concept is the “illusory truth effect,” a psychological finding that people are more likely to believe information they have been exposed to repeatedly. However, the Western concept is a clinical observation, whereas `三人成虎` is a moral fable. It's also different from “where there's smoke, there's fire,” which implies a rumor might have a grain of truth. `三人成虎` asserts that the rumor is likely a complete fabrication that has gained legitimacy only through repetition.

`三人成虎` is a well-known idiom used in both formal writing and educated conversation. It's particularly relevant in the digital age.

• Social Media and “Fake News”: It's frequently used to comment on how quickly unverified rumors or doctored photos can spread online, leading to public panic or “witch hunts” against individuals.
• Business and Finance: In a business context, it can describe how unsubstantiated rumors about a company can drive its stock price down. An analyst might dismiss a rumor by saying it's a classic case of `三人成虎`.
• Personal Warning: You might use it to advise a friend: “别听他们乱说，这都是三人成虎罢了” (Bié tīng tāmen luàn shuō, zhè dōu shì sān rén chéng hǔ bàle) - “Don't listen to their nonsense, it's just a case of a rumor becoming fact.”

Its connotation is almost always negative or cautionary, highlighting a dangerous flaw in human judgment.

• Example 1:
  • 网上关于那位明星的负面消息太多了，但我们应该小心 三人成虎，不要轻易相信。
  • Pinyin: Wǎngshàng guānyú nà wèi míngxīng de fùmiàn xiāoxī tài duō le, dàn wǒmen yīnggāi xiǎoxīn sān rén chéng hǔ, búyào qīngyì xiāngxìn.
  • English: There's too much negative news about that celebrity online, but we should be wary of a lie becoming truth through repetition and not believe it so easily.
  • Analysis: A very common modern usage, warning against believing online gossip.
• Example 2:
  • 这家公司明明经营得很好，就是因为几个竞争对手散布谣言，才导致了 三人成虎 的局面，股价大跌。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī míngmíng jīngyíng de hěn hǎo, jiùshì yīnwèi jǐ ge jìngzhēng duìshǒu sànbù yáoyán, cái dǎozhì le sān rén chéng hǔ de júmiàn, gǔjià dàdiē.
  • English: This company was clearly operating well, but because a few competitors spread rumors, it led to a situation of rumor becoming reality, causing the stock price to plummet.
  • Analysis: This example shows the concrete, negative consequences of `三人成虎` in a business context.
• Example 3:
  • 历史是由胜利者书写的，很多所谓的“事实”不过是 三人成虎 的结果。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shì yóu shènglìzhě shūxiě de, hěn duō suǒwèi de “shìshí” búguò shì sān rén chéng hǔ de jiéguǒ.
  • English: History is written by the victors; many so-called “facts” are merely the result of a story being told so often it becomes truth.
  • Analysis: A more philosophical use of the idiom, questioning the nature of historical truth.
• Example 4:
  • 在你没有亲眼看到之前，不要下结论，小心 三人成虎。
  • Pinyin: Zài nǐ méiyǒu qīnyǎn kàndào zhīqián, búyào xià jiélùn, xiǎoxīn sān rén chéng hǔ.
  • English: Before you see it with your own eyes, don't jump to conclusions. Beware of rumors becoming fact.
  • Analysis: Simple, direct advice using the idiom as a warning.
• Example 5:
  • 这个小镇上关于那栋老房子的鬼故事，就是典型的 三人成虎。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge xiǎo zhèn shàng guānyú nà dòng lǎo fángzi de guǐ gùshì, jiùshì diǎnxíng de sān rén chéng hǔ.
  • English: The ghost stories about that old house in this small town are a classic case of three men make a tiger.
  • Analysis: This shows how the idiom can be applied to folklore or local legends that start from nothing.
• Example 6:
  • 刚开始只有一个人说他作弊，后来传的人多了，三人成虎，连老师都开始怀疑他了。
  • Pinyin: Gāng kāishǐ zhǐyǒu yí ge rén shuō tā zuòbì, hòulái chuán de rén duō le, sān rén chéng hǔ, lián lǎoshī dōu kāishǐ huáiyí tā le.
  • English: At first, only one person said he cheated. Later, as more people spread it, the rumor became accepted as fact, and even the teacher began to suspect him.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the process described in the original story.
• Example 7:
  • 所谓 三人成虎，就是说谎言说了一千遍也可能变成“真理”。
  • Pinyin: Suǒwèi sān rén chéng hǔ, jiùshì shuō huǎngyán shuō le yì qiān biàn yě kěnéng biànchéng “zhēnlǐ”.
  • English: The so-called “three men make a tiger” means that a lie told a thousand times can become “truth.”
  • Analysis: A sentence that explicitly defines the idiom's meaning.
• Example 8:
  • 他试图向经理澄清，说那些指控都只是 三人成虎，毫无根据。
  • Pinyin: Tā shìtú xiàng jīnglǐ chéngqīng, shuō nàxiē zhǐkòng dōu zhǐshì sān rén chéng hǔ, háo wú gēnjù.
  • English: He tried to clarify to the manager, saying those accusations were just a case of a repeated lie becoming fact, completely baseless.
  • Analysis: Shows how to use the idiom to defend oneself against false accusations.
• Example 9:
  • 群众的盲从心理很容易造成 三人成虎 的社会现象。
  • Pinyin: Qúnzhòng de mángcóng xīnlǐ hěn róngyì zàochéng sān rén chéng hǔ de shèhuì xiànxiàng.
  • English: The herd mentality of the masses can easily create the social phenomenon of rumors being accepted as truth.
  • Analysis: A formal, sociological use of the term to describe a broad societal issue.
• Example 10:
  • 这件事是真的还是又一次的 三人成虎？我们得去核实一下。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn shì shì zhēn de háishì yòu yí cì de sān rén chéng hǔ? Wǒmen děi qù héshí yíxià.
  • English: Is this matter real, or is it another case of a repeated rumor? We have to go verify it.
  • Analysis: Using the idiom in a question to express skepticism and the need for fact-checking.

• Don't Use it Literally: Never use this phrase to talk about actual people or tigers. It is always a metaphor for rumors and misinformation.
• The Lie Should Be Unlikely: The power of the idiom comes from the absurdity of the original claim (a tiger in a city market). It's most effective when used for rumors that seem far-fetched at first but gain traction through repetition, not for rumors that were plausible to begin with.
• False Friend: “Where there's smoke, there's fire.” This English idiom implies that a rumor probably has some basis in truth. `三人成虎` is the opposite; it strongly implies the rumor is baseless but has become powerful through sheer repetition. Using them interchangeably is a common mistake.
  • Incorrect Usage: “I heard the CEO is resigning. The stock is down, and he missed the last meeting. It must be 三人成虎.” (Wrong. This situation has evidence, so “where there's smoke, there's fire” is more appropriate. `三人成虎` would be used if the rumor had no evidence at all.)
  • Correct Usage: “The rumor that the CEO is resigning started on an anonymous forum with no proof, but now everyone is repeating it. It's a classic case of 三人成虎.”

• 众口铄金 (zhòng kǒu shuò jīn) - “The voices of many can melt metal.” A very close synonym, emphasizing the immense and destructive power of public opinion to distort truth.
• 以讹传讹 (yǐ é chuán é) - “To transmit an error by way of an error.” This describes the process of a rumor spreading and becoming more distorted with each retelling.
• 流言蜚语 (liú yán fēi yǔ) - “Floating words and flying whispers.” A four-character term for “rumors and gossip.” This is the content that leads to a `三人成虎` situation.
• 谣言 (yáoyán) - The modern, common two-character word for “rumor.”
• 道听途说 (dào tīng tú shuō) - “To hear on the road and speak on the lane.” Refers to hearsay or information that is unverified and picked up from the grapevine.
• 指鹿为马 (zhǐ lù wéi mǎ) - “To point at a deer and call it a horse.” This idiom describes deliberately stating a falsehood to test loyalty or exert political power. It's about a powerful person forcing a lie, while `三人成虎` is about a lie spreading organically among the people.