<p><a href="http://d.wanfangdata.com.cn/Periodical_nccwkj200806046.aspx" rel="nofollow">Theory 1</a>: A coffin is made of three long and two short pieces of wood. And a coffin means death, dangerous.</p>

<p>You also can find some clues in the <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E7%AD%B7%E5%AD%90%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C#.E4.B8.AD.E5.9C.8B.E7.89.B9.E6.9C.89.E7.A6.81.E5.BF.8C" rel="nofollow">wikipedia article about "使用筷子禁忌"</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=Gg4y5P6dUDG3wdrbblvgjZSMmXkPAGhDmQxnEEtOdGeLXnnEICrYdkTiCQXT8t_V#8" rel="nofollow">Theory 2</a>: Taoist forecasts through burning incenses. It is the most dangerous condition that there are three long incense sticks and two short incense sticks after burning five incence sticks in some time.</p>

<p>Theory 3: In ancient times, a master swordmaker called Ouyezi (欧冶子) made five sharp swords. Three of them were long, the others were short. And an assassin used the one called "鱼肠剑" among the five swords to kill the ennemy King. So "三长两短" refers to coming across a dangerous accident.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T07:58:49.093Z
Excellent! Also, for clarity: the three long ones are bottom left, right. Top does not count because it is seen as a mere lid and added last. Up and down are the short ones. Source :http://m.wangchao.net.cn/xinxi/tcdetail_189115.html
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-25T09:55:52.177Z
2016-02-18T03:03:37.970Z
2016-02-18T03:03:37.970Z
zz22
<p>Maybe the answer is this</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>学者以为三长两短指的是未盖上盖儿的棺材，因为棺材正好由三块长木板、两块短木板构成一个匣子。棺材是用来装死尸的，“三长两短”在口语中常指意外的灾祸、有生命危险的事故，或许与此有关。<br>
  The coffin has three long wood pieces and two short wood pieces, so
  三长两短 is a sign for bad things</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>or in Chinese 三 does not mean really numbers, it refers to huge number of things(just like <b>三</b>人行必有我师), so perhaps 三长两短 has something to do with it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T08:03:48.737Z
This is a very good answer!
AGamePlayer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T06:43:13.053Z
2014-03-14T06:43:13.053Z
Ave Maleficum
<p>三长两短 refers to a coffin.
The lower part of the coffin is made of 3 long wooden board and 2 short wooden piece of board.
It is also referring to death or something very bad that related to life danger.</p>

<p>Other usage on non-living things, it refers to severe damage， unrecoverable malfunction or lost.</p>

<p>Example: 我可以把手机借给你，但是万一它有什么三长两短，你可要赔一部新的给我。</p>

<p>Translate: I can lend you my mobile, but if it is lost or damage, you have to replace it with a new one for me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-18T08:13:34.530Z
2014-03-18T08:13:34.530Z
mjb
<p>3 long 2 short can mean life is always up and down. Sometimes good, sometimes bad... so nothing to worry about... There'll be good times and bad times - it's interchangeable. Like the stock market: bulls &amp; bears, economy: boom &amp; bust, war &amp; peace, etc... So it's a warning implied that don't expect things to run smoothly forever. Be aware of the unexpected hiccup.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-18T02:55:36.237Z
2016-02-18T03:04:49.220Z
2016-02-18T03:04:49.220Z
Chua Pheng Khoon
<p>I burn 3 incense to my ancestor but one of them did not burn.
I am very sure that i burned it throughly before placing for offering . But later on , one incense did not burn up. What does this indicate?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T02:33:20.140Z
You're not really answering the question. Please take a careful look at what the OP wrote when you respond.
wpt
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-18T14:41:04.250Z
2017-06-18T14:41:04.250Z
Dren
<p>（求词源）</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/9/111/298383.htm">三长两短</a> is a chengyu that means "unforeseen disaster". It can also be a euphemism for death.</p>

<p>Here's an example of its usage:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>明·罗贯中《三遂平妖传》：“万一些后再有三长两短，终不能靠着太医活命。”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What is its etymology though? One way of literally interpreting this chengyu is that it refers to three long things and two short things; what could they be?</p>

<p>There's a theory that it's referring to the coffin box, which is made up of three long and two short pieces of wood, but this seems like a false etymology.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-25T20:36:13.327Z
It's very common in 成语 to have adjacent numbers (e.g., 乱七八糟、七嘴八舌). I don't think there's a deep reason, although the specific numbers end up with certain connotations (e.g., the examples with 7/8 are disordered).
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-24T06:29:34.690Z
maybe it refers to the irregularity of circumstances
Colin
<etymology><chengyu>
三长两短: what's long and what's short?
# 三长两短: what's long and what's short?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-21)

（求词源）

[三长两短](http://www.zdic.net/c/9/111/298383.htm) is a chengyu that means "unforeseen disaster". It can also be a euphemism for death.

Here's an example of its usage:

> 明·罗贯中《三遂平妖传》：“万一些后再有三长两短，终不能靠着太医活命。”

What is its etymology though? One way of literally interpreting this chengyu is that it refers to three long things and two short things; what could they be?

There's a theory that it's referring to the coffin box, which is made up of three long and two short pieces of wood, but this seems like a false etymology.

**Tags:** etymology, chengyu
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's very common in 成语 to have adjacent numbers (e.g., 乱七八糟、七嘴八舌). I don't think there's a deep reason, although the specific numbers end up with certain connotations (e.g., the examples with 7/8 are disordered).  
> **username_2**: maybe it refers to the irregularity of circumstances  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-02-25. Score: 8

[Theory 1](http://d.wanfangdata.com.cn/Periodical_nccwkj200806046.aspx): A coffin is made of three long and two short pieces of wood. And a coffin means death, dangerous.

You also can find some clues in the [wikipedia article about "使用筷子禁忌"](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E7%AD%B7%E5%AD%90%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C#.E4.B8.AD.E5.9C.8B.E7.89.B9.E6.9C.89.E7.A6.81.E5.BF.8C).

[Theory 2](http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=Gg4y5P6dUDG3wdrbblvgjZSMmXkPAGhDmQxnEEtOdGeLXnnEICrYdkTiCQXT8t_V#8): Taoist forecasts through burning incenses. It is the most dangerous condition that there are three long incense sticks and two short incense sticks after burning five incence sticks in some time.

Theory 3: In ancient times, a master swordmaker called Ouyezi (欧冶子) made five sharp swords. Three of them were long, the others were short. And an assassin used the one called "鱼肠剑" among the five swords to kill the ennemy King. So "三长两短" refers to coming across a dangerous accident.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Excellent! Also, for clarity: the three long ones are bottom left, right. Top does not count because it is seen as a mere lid and added last. Up and down are the short ones. Source :http://m.wangchao.net.cn/xinxi/tcdetail_189115.html  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-14. Score: 3

Maybe the answer is this

> * 学者以为三长两短指的是未盖上盖儿的棺材，因为棺材正好由三块长木板、两块短木板构成一个匣子。棺材是用来装死尸的，“三长两短”在口语中常指意外的灾祸、有生命危险的事故，或许与此有关。  
>   The coffin has three long wood pieces and two short wood pieces, so
>   三长两短 is a sign for bad things

or in Chinese 三 does not mean really numbers, it refers to huge number of things(just like **三**人行必有我师), so perhaps 三长两短 has something to do with it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: This is a very good answer!  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-03-18. Score: 3

三长两短 refers to a coffin.
The lower part of the coffin is made of 3 long wooden board and 2 short wooden piece of board.
It is also referring to death or something very bad that related to life danger.

Other usage on non-living things, it refers to severe damage， unrecoverable malfunction or lost.

Example: 我可以把手机借给你，但是万一它有什么三长两短，你可要赔一部新的给我。

Translate: I can lend you my mobile, but if it is lost or damage, you have to replace it with a new one for me.


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2016-02-18. Score: 1

3 long 2 short can mean life is always up and down. Sometimes good, sometimes bad... so nothing to worry about... There'll be good times and bad times - it's interchangeable. Like the stock market: bulls & bears, economy: boom & bust, war & peace, etc... So it's a warning implied that don't expect things to run smoothly forever. Be aware of the unexpected hiccup.


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2017-06-18. Score: -2

I burn 3 incense to my ancestor but one of them did not burn.
I am very sure that i burned it throughly before placing for offering . But later on , one incense did not burn up. What does this indicate?

> **Comments:**
> **username_10**: You're not really answering the question. Please take a careful look at what the OP wrote when you respond.  

---

