In Chinese numerology and philosophy, "three" represents heaven, "four" represents earth, and together they form the proper order of the universe. To be "neither three nor four" is to fall outside the natural order — to be neither this nor that, neither proper nor improper, just... wrong.
When the hot-tempered Lu Da wanted to fight a troublemaker, his friend Shi Jin stopped him: "Brother, calm yourself. He is neither three nor four — why bother with him?"
The phrase "不三不四" (neither three nor four) became the Chinese idiom for someone who is disreputable, shady, or simply not worth your time.
鲁达道：「你两个且在这里，等洒家去打死了那厮便来。」史进扯住道：「哥哥息怒，不三不四的人，理会他则甚。」
鲁达道：「你两个且在这里，等洒家去打死了那厮便来。」史进扯住道：「哥哥息怒，不三不四的人，理会他则甚。」
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
Not every provocation deserves a response. The one who is "neither three nor four" is beneath your attention — engaging with them only lowers you to their level.
The origin of this idiom in Chinese cosmology is fascinating. Three and four are not random numbers — they represent the fundamental categories of existence (heaven and earth). To be "neither three nor four" is to be cosmologically disordered, a person who fits nowhere in the proper scheme of things.
Shi Jin's advice is practical: don't waste energy on people who are beneath your notice. But the idiom also carries a deeper warning: strive to be something definite. Being "neither three nor four" — neither committed to one path nor another — is the most contemptible state of all.