<p>There are two points that you should know:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>In Chinese culture, 3 does not often  mean a exact quantity. That is, there may be 2,3,4 or many persons around you. There are many other phrases,for example, 狡兔三窟, 三思而后行,三番五次.</p></li>
<li><p>So this sentence means: We should keep modest to find out merit of the people around you and learn from them. There is a idiom in western culture, <strong>Stay hungry, Stay foolish</strong>, which has the same meaning.</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-22T13:36:41.880Z
I don't think "2" would work here. The meaning of  三人 is *many people* (三人為眾).
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T09:56:45.997Z
Yes, technically, 3 means more people. But in this example, even if there are 2 people, you and your friend, you friend may be your teacher in some area too.
Jesse
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T01:21:34.227Z
2017-04-19T01:21:34.227Z
Jesse
<p>In English it means, in a group of three people, there will be someone who I can learn from.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-22T08:42:13.903Z
2019-08-22T08:42:13.903Z
Ryan Shao
<p>三人行，必有我师 If 3 of us walk together, surely one of the others has something to teach me.</p>

<p>How about: There is always something new to learn.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T21:41:35.430Z
Wrong. 三 doesn't mean three here.
Kevman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-18T23:50:09.383Z
2017-04-18T23:50:09.383Z
Pedroski
<p>You don't need to confuse about the numbers here. Three is just an imaginary number, like a thousand (times/people) in English.</p>
<p>This sentence roughly means that there must be something I can learn from others. Learn the good qualities of others; If you see the shortcomings of others, you should reflect on whether you have the same weaknesses and correct them.</p>
<p>This reflects the traditional Chinese ideology of modesty and introspection. If one constantly compares his strong points with the weak points of others, he will not make progress.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-28T11:50:20.047Z
2022-05-28T11:50:20.047Z
user31832
<p>If only 3 people here there must be something they can teach me.</p>

<p>There must be some abilities that the 2 people have and I(the 1) do not have.</p>

<p>It means I must be <strong>Modest</strong> even if I know lots of things.</p>

<p>And If something is not good with them I see it and I must correct it for myself and do not make same mistake.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-25T04:18:41.377Z
2019-08-25T04:18:41.377Z
daotian
<p>It means theres so much things u still need to learn from other people,even u pick three people on the road there gotta be something u could learn from them</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-04T13:16:40.637Z
2019-10-04T13:16:40.637Z
John Zhang
<p>My ancient Chinese is terrible, but I think I am right about this one. </p>

<p>三： three</p>

<p>人：person </p>

<p>行：walk, go, travel </p>

<p>必：must</p>

<p>有：have， be</p>

<p>我： I, my, me.. </p>

<p>師：master, teacher</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Literally it would be "(where) three people walk, (there) must be  my teacher (among them)."  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I assume  Confucius meant to emphasise "there is something to learn from almost anybody."</p>

<p>But I also checked the famous translation by LEGGE. There the complete context is given:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“【廿一章】子曰、三人行、必有我師焉、擇其善者而從之、其不善者而改之。”</p>
  
  <p>Excerpt From: Legge, James. “The Chinese Classics — Volume 1: Confucian Analects.” iBooks. 
  This material may be protected by copyright.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And LEGGE translates it as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'When I walk along with two
  others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their
  good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid
  them.”</p>
  
  <p>Excerpt From: Legge, James. “The Chinese Classics — Volume 1: Confucian Analects.” iBooks. 
  This material may be protected by copyright.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>But see Jesse's answer about the "three"!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T21:42:51.830Z
Literally, 三is three, but here it's just mean "More than yourself" @Jesse provide the best answer.
Kevman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T21:50:32.807Z
@Kevman I seek not to outshine that answer in any way, I just find it focused very much on the philosophical meaning. I guess, since this is a language forum, we should also approach it from a language learner's perspective - unqualified as I am to provide it!
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T22:10:44.873Z
Actually you might wrong, Three is a special number in Chinese culture. Firstly 三 means everything in the universe, Chinese call it Sky/Heaven/Everything in the sky(like start, the sun...), Earth(Everything on the earth, the ocean, animal....), People (天，地，人). This extends a new usage, to describe Many. (三令五申,三思而后行,三缄其口)
Kevman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T22:30:17.647Z
Great examples. Actually I remember a very similar phenomenon in German. "Ein Paar" means 一對/一雙, but gradually came to mean 幾個。To differentiate the two meanings, we write the second one with a small p. " Ein paar".
Ludi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-30T16:21:09.677Z
I know 0 ancient Chinese, but this one is still perfectly understandable :-)
Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-04-19T21:33:32.623Z
2019-09-30T17:04:32.217Z
2019-09-30T17:04:32.217Z
Ludi
<p>So I'm learning some of Confucius' sayings, and one that I came across was 三人行，必有我师. I tried to translate it but I don't understand...</p>

<p>What does it mean?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-18T22:15:47.097Z
enter  三人行，必有我师 into jukuu, get 7 translations
user6065
<translation>
What does 三人行，必有我师 mean?
# What does 三人行，必有我师 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-18)

So I'm learning some of Confucius' sayings, and one that I came across was 三人行，必有我师. I tried to translate it but I don't understand...

What does it mean?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: enter  三人行，必有我师 into jukuu, get 7 translations  

---

## 7 answers

### Answer by username_10 on 2017-04-19. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

My ancient Chinese is terrible, but I think I am right about this one.

三： three

人：person

行：walk, go, travel

必：must

有：have， be

我： I, my, me..

師：master, teacher

> Literally it would be "(where) three people walk, (there) must be my teacher (among them)."

I assume Confucius meant to emphasise "there is something to learn from almost anybody."

But I also checked the famous translation by LEGGE. There the complete context is given:

> “【廿一章】子曰、三人行、必有我師焉、擇其善者而從之、其不善者而改之。”
>
> Excerpt From: Legge, James. “The Chinese Classics — Volume 1: Confucian Analects.” iBooks.
> This material may be protected by copyright.

And LEGGE translates it as:

> “CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'When I walk along with two
> others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their
> good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid
> them.”
>
> Excerpt From: Legge, James. “The Chinese Classics — Volume 1: Confucian Analects.” iBooks.
> This material may be protected by copyright.

But see username_2's answer about the "three"!

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Literally, 三is three, but here it's just mean "More than yourself" @username_2 provide the best answer.  
> **username_10**: @username_6 I seek not to outshine that answer in any way, I just find it focused very much on the philosophical meaning. I guess, since this is a language forum, we should also approach it from a language learner's perspective - unqualified as I am to provide it!  
> **username_6**: Actually you might wrong, Three is a special number in Chinese culture. Firstly 三 means everything in the universe, Chinese call it Sky/Heaven/Everything in the sky(like start, the sun...), Earth(Everything on the earth, the ocean, animal....), People (天，地，人). This extends a new usage, to describe Many. (三令五申,三思而后行,三缄其口)  
> **username_10**: Great examples. Actually I remember a very similar phenomenon in German. "Ein Paar" means 一對/一雙, but gradually came to mean 幾個。To differentiate the two meanings, we write the second one with a small p. " Ein paar".  
> **username_11**: I know 0 ancient Chinese, but this one is still perfectly understandable :-)  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-04-19. Score: 10

There are two points that you should know:

* In Chinese culture, 3 does not often mean a exact quantity. That is, there may be 2,3,4 or many persons around you. There are many other phrases,for example, 狡兔三窟, 三思而后行,三番五次.
* So this sentence means: We should keep modest to find out merit of the people around you and learn from them. There is a idiom in western culture, **Stay hungry, Stay foolish**, which has the same meaning.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I don't think "2" would work here. The meaning of  三人 is *many people* (三人為眾).  
> **username_2**: Yes, technically, 3 means more people. But in this example, even if there are 2 people, you and your friend, you friend may be your teacher in some area too.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-08-22. Score: 3

In English it means, in a group of three people, there will be someone who I can learn from.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-04-18. Score: 1

三人行，必有我师 If 3 of us walk together, surely one of the others has something to teach me.

How about: There is always something new to learn.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Wrong. 三 doesn't mean three here.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2022-05-28. Score: 1

You don't need to confuse about the numbers here. Three is just an imaginary number, like a thousand (times/people) in English.

This sentence roughly means that there must be something I can learn from others. Learn the good qualities of others; If you see the shortcomings of others, you should reflect on whether you have the same weaknesses and correct them.

This reflects the traditional Chinese ideology of modesty and introspection. If one constantly compares his strong points with the weak points of others, he will not make progress.


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2019-08-25. Score: 1

If only 3 people here there must be something they can teach me.

There must be some abilities that the 2 people have and I(the 1) do not have.

It means I must be **Modest** even if I know lots of things.

And If something is not good with them I see it and I must correct it for myself and do not make same mistake.


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2019-10-04. Score: 1

It means theres so much things u still need to learn from other people,even u pick three people on the road there gotta be something u could learn from them


---

