<p>The expression is somewhat similar to English <em>scare the living daylights out of <code>somebody</code></em>, with many variations. A quick Google search shows</p>

<ul>
<li>三魂[少/去/嚇飛]了二魂</li>
<li>三魂剩下半魂</li>
<li>三魂去二</li>
</ul>

<p>and other similar constructions.</p>

<p>三魂 refers to the three <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_and_po" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>hun</em></a> in Chinese philosophy/folk religion or Daoist belief. The three <em>hun</em> make up a person's "essence" (soul, spirit) when they're alive, and go their separate paths after a person passes away:</p>

<ul>
<li>One <em>hun</em> returns to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuji_(philosophy)" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>primordial universe</em></a> from whence it came;</li>
<li>One <em>hun</em> faces judgement for the person's good and bad wordly deeds in hell;</li>
<li>One <em>hun</em> resides at a person's burial place or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_tablet" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ancestral tablet</a>, and is the <em>hun</em> that is passed on to a person's descendants.</li>
</ul>

<p>If the three <em>hun</em> are somehow absent from the body when the body is still alive, then the body becomes a walking corpse (<strong>行尸走肉</strong>), so the expression <strong>三魂去了兩魂半</strong> means <em>almost frightened to death</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-15T13:15:44.857Z
2018-09-15T23:58:59.037Z
2018-09-15T23:58:59.037Z
dROOOze
<p>In order to understand it, you need to know these two phrases: 三魂七魄 and 吓得没了魂儿. </p>

<p>According to Baidu, <a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/12738457.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">三魂七魄</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>人的精神分而可以称之为魂魄，其魂有三，一为天魂，二为地魂，三为命魂。其魄有七，一魄天冲，二魄灵慧，三魄为气，四魄为力，五魄中枢，六魄为精，七魄为英。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, 三魂 and 七魄 are necessary for a live person. If you lose all 三魂, then you would die. </p>

<p>吓得没了魂儿 means one is <strong>so frightened that he lost his 魂儿(soul) and die</strong>. It's actually a figurative speech. They will not literally lose them and die. </p>

<p>三魂去了两魂半 is a similar phrase to 吓得没了魂儿. You can imagine that “三魂去了两魂半” is about <strong>one loses two and a half of 魂 given he only has three</strong>. Figuratively, it implies that <strong>one almost dies of something frightening or scary</strong>. </p>

<p>So, 吓得没了魂儿 == 吓死了； 三魂去了两魂半 == 吓得半死 or 吓得要死. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-15T23:31:57.933Z
2018-09-16T03:17:11.813Z
2018-09-16T03:17:11.813Z
dan
<p>It's used to describe an expression so I guess it's close to being shocked or frightened from the context it's used in but I don't really understand why it means that. </p>

<p>So a detailed explanation will be much appreciated. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-15T12:23:26.020Z
三魂去了两魂半 is too specific. I've never heard it before. It don't think it is a common phrase.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-15T23:36:17.323Z
@TangHo, Maybe it's regional. To me, it's common and it's not something I have to think and understand. It's a common figurative speech though.
dan
<simplified-characters><phrase>
What does "三魂去了两魂半" mean?
# What does "三魂去了两魂半" mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-15)

It's used to describe an expression so I guess it's close to being shocked or frightened from the context it's used in but I don't really understand why it means that.

So a detailed explanation will be much appreciated.

**Tags:** simplified-characters, phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 三魂去了两魂半 is too specific. I've never heard it before. It don't think it is a common phrase.  
> **username_2**: @username_1, Maybe it's regional. To me, it's common and it's not something I have to think and understand. It's a common figurative speech though.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-09-15. Score: 5

The expression is somewhat similar to English *scare the living daylights out of `somebody`*, with many variations. A quick Google search shows

* 三魂[少/去/嚇飛]了二魂
* 三魂剩下半魂
* 三魂去二

and other similar constructions.

三魂 refers to the three [*hun*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_and_po) in Chinese philosophy/folk religion or Daoist belief. The three *hun* make up a person's "essence" (soul, spirit) when they're alive, and go their separate paths after a person passes away:

* One *hun* returns to the [*primordial universe*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuji_(philosophy)) from whence it came;
* One *hun* faces judgement for the person's good and bad wordly deeds in hell;
* One *hun* resides at a person's burial place or [ancestral tablet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_tablet), and is the *hun* that is passed on to a person's descendants.

If the three *hun* are somehow absent from the body when the body is still alive, then the body becomes a walking corpse (**行尸走肉**), so the expression **三魂去了兩魂半** means *almost frightened to death*.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-15. Score: 4

In order to understand it, you need to know these two phrases: 三魂七魄 and 吓得没了魂儿.

According to Baidu, [三魂七魄](https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/12738457.html):

> 人的精神分而可以称之为魂魄，其魂有三，一为天魂，二为地魂，三为命魂。其魄有七，一魄天冲，二魄灵慧，三魄为气，四魄为力，五魄中枢，六魄为精，七魄为英。

So, 三魂 and 七魄 are necessary for a live person. If you lose all 三魂, then you would die.

吓得没了魂儿 means one is **so frightened that he lost his 魂儿(soul) and die**. It's actually a figurative speech. They will not literally lose them and die.

三魂去了两魂半 is a similar phrase to 吓得没了魂儿. You can imagine that “三魂去了两魂半” is about **one loses two and a half of 魂 given he only has three**. Figuratively, it implies that **one almost dies of something frightening or scary**.

So, 吓得没了魂儿 == 吓死了； 三魂去了两魂半 == 吓得半死 or 吓得要死.


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