Definition
This is a Chinese idiom that functions like a generic placeholder for 'any ordinary person' or 'just anyone', similar to 'Tom, Dick, or Harry' in English. It combines common surnames with numbers, meaning 'Zhang the third and Li the fourth' — a way to refer to random, unspecified individuals. You use it to emphasize that something applies to everyone, not just specific people.
f.e.
any TomDickor Harryany ordinary personjust anyone
Examples
- 张三李四，。Tā bùguǎn Zhāng sān Lǐ sì, shéi dōu bú rènshi.He didn't care about any Tom, Dick, or Harry — he didn't know anyone.
- 张三李四。Zhè zhǒng shìqíng suíbiàn Zhāng sān Lǐ sì dōu néng zuò.This kind of thing can be done by just anyone.
- ，张三李四。Bié yǐwéi zhǐyǒu nǐ dǒng, Zhāng sān Lǐ sì dōu míngbai.Don't think only you understand — anyone gets it.
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