Things, especially bad or unexpected things, tend to come in threes. If something has happened twice, expect it to happen a third time.
The number three holds deep symbolic power in Italian and broader European culture, rooted in Christian theology (the Trinity), classical rhetoric (the tricolon), and folk magic (spells recited three times). This proverb taps into that cultural intuition and applies it to the observation that patterns of events — particularly unfortunate ones — tend to complete themselves in groups of three. The saying is found across all Romance languages and appears in Italian printed collections from the sixteenth century, though its oral roots are certainly medieval. It is typically used with a rueful, slightly superstitious tone after a second mishap, as if to warn that the pattern has not yet run its course. Some linguists interpret it as a form of narrative psychology: humans perceive events in story-shaped arcs, and three is the minimum number of events needed to form a pattern with a beginning, middle, and end. In contemporary Italian it is used both seriously and humorously, often with a resigned shrug. It can also be used positively — if two good things have happened, a third may be on the way.
Rooted in the symbolic power of the number three in Christian and classical European tradition.
Three accidents in a week
Già due guasti alla macchina in tre giorni. Non c'è due senza tre — speriamo bene.
Already two car breakdowns in three days. Bad things come in threes — let's hope for the best.
Sports
Hanno vinto due campionati di fila. Non c'è due senza tre — puntano al terzo.
They won two championships in a row. Good things come in threes — they're aiming for the third.
Illness in the family
Nonno, papà, e ora zio Paolo è a letto con l'influenza. Non c'è due senza tre!
Grandad, dad, and now uncle Paolo is in bed with the flu. Bad things come in threes!
Failed attempts
Ho sbagliato l'esame due volte. Ma non c'è due senza tre — al terzo tentativo ce la faccio.
I've failed the exam twice. But third time's the charm — on the third attempt I'll make it.