丢三落四

Pronunciation: diū sān là sì Literal meaning: Lose three drop four

Origin & Usage

To drop (丢) three (三) and mislay (落) four (四) — the last character is read là here, not luò, which trips learners up. The numbers are deliberately non-consecutive, so the losses read as scattered rather than systematic. Vernacular fiction supplies the phrase and it has stayed colloquial. It describes a standing trait rather than an incident: the person who has left something behind again, and whose household has learned to check before the door closes.

Examples

English: "She frequently misplaced her keys, phone, and important documents"

Chinese: 她经常丢三落四，找不到钥匙、手机和重要文件