τρίς
trís
G5151 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
As an adverb, 'on three occasions,' 'three times,' indicating that an action has occurred or will occur exactly three separate times. It expresses repetition in a specific, numerically limited sense, emphasizing the completeness or significance of the third occurrence. The term always denotes exactly three distinct actions or moments, never 'several' or 'many.'
Semantic Range
three times, on three occasions, thrice, repeated three times
Root / Etymology
Derived from the cardinal number τρεῖς (three). It is an adverbial formation built from the numeral, using the -ις ending to indicate the notion of repetition in adverbial form.
Historical & Contextual Notes
τρίς appears from classical Greek onward as the standard adverb for 'three times.' In Homeric and classical contexts, it is used in narrative poetry and prose to denote the repetition of an action exactly three times, often with rhetorical or symbolic significance. In Hellenistic, LXX, and New Testament Greek, its use is consistent, typically marking the numeric precision of an action's recurrence. It occurs in narrative settings (e.g., Peter's denial τρὶς in the Gospels) to mark both literal enumeration and, sometimes, the completion or intensification of an act. Standard English translations (e.g., 'three times' or 'thrice') accurately reflect the Greek; however, 'thrice' is now archaic in English, while the Greek retains its standard numerical precision. The word does not indicate vagueness or general repetition; it is a precise enumerative term.
Translation Consistency
’Three times’ is the natural, modern adverbial rendering that exactly matches the SILEX sense (an action occurring on three distinct occasions). It avoids the archaic single-word ‘thrice’ while preserving the precise numeric repetition that ‘three’ alone would not clearly convey in all contexts, ensuring consistent, idiomatic English across every occurrence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
adverb from τρεῖς; three times:--three times, thrice.
Root Family
τρίς (tris) — three, repeated three times
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5151-01 |
τρὶς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times | 12 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5151-01 |
Matthew 26:34 | τρὶς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Matthew 26:75 | τρὶς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Mark 14:30 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Mark 14:72 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Luke 22:34 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
thrice | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Luke 22:61 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
John 13:38 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Acts 10:16 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
Acts 11:10 | τρίς | tris | ADV |
three times | three times | three times |
G5151-01 |
2 Corinthians 11:25 | τρὶς | tris | ADV |
Three times | three times | three times |