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HSK 3 Chinese reading practice

三人成虎

sān rén chéng hǔ

Three People Make a Tiger

Before leaving for Handan, Pang Cong warns the King of Wei that a false story can become believable when enough people repeat it.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3
READ4 min
HANZI318
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文化
CULTURE

Can three people make a tiger?

三人成虎 comes from the Strategies of the Warring States. Pang Cong used an impossible tiger in a busy market to explain how repeated accusations could make even a false story seem true.

Key vocabulary9 words from this story
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阅读理解 · COMPREHENSION

Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01一个人说市场里有老虎时，魏王相信吗？
02庞葱用市场里的老虎提醒魏王什么？
03庞葱回到魏国以后发生了什么？
0 / 3questions answered
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 三人成虎

What does 三人成虎 mean in English?

三人成虎 (sān rén chéng hǔ) literally means “three people create a tiger.” It describes a false claim can come to seem true when enough people repeat it.

When is 三人成虎 used?

Use 三人成虎 when repetition makes an unsupported rumor or accusation widely believable, especially when people fail to verify the original claim. For example: No one checked the original report, but after it was reposted all morning, 三人成虎，many readers assumed it was true.

What is the pinyin for 三人成虎?

The pinyin pronunciation for 三人成虎 is “sān rén chéng hǔ.”