# what happens twice happens thrice

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/what-happens-twice-happens-thrice
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An event that happens two times will happen three times.

## Examples

- I lost my keys again, and what happens twice happens thrice.
- The bus is late again, and what happens twice happens thrice.
- I missed two goals, and I fear what happens twice happens thrice.
- After the computer crashed for the second time this morning, I knew it would crash again because what happens twice happens thrice.
- My neighbor's dog escaped for the second time this week, so I am watching my garden closely because what happens twice happens thrice.
- You have already spilled your coffee twice today, so please be careful with that third cup since what happens twice happens thrice.
- The historian noted that the empire had suffered two major invasions, and given that what happens twice happens thrice, he feared a third attack was imminent.

## Origin

A direct calque of the Japanese 二度ある事は三度ある, translating to the observation that a thing which occurs twice will inevitably occur a third time. The English iteration of the proverb mirrors the Japanese original, providing a numerical template for the arrival of misfortune.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.