diff --git a/src/data/finset/card.lean b/src/data/finset/card.lean
index c394e233e39f2..d083427cfbd3f 100644
--- a/src/data/finset/card.lean
+++ b/src/data/finset/card.lean
@@ -399,6 +399,24 @@ by { rw ←not_iff_not, push_neg, exact card_le_one }
 lemma one_lt_card_iff : 1 < s.card ↔ ∃ a b, a ∈ s ∧ b ∈ s ∧ a ≠ b :=
 by { rw one_lt_card, simp only [exists_prop, exists_and_distrib_left] }
 
+lemma two_lt_card_iff : 2 < s.card ↔ ∃ a b c, a ∈ s ∧ b ∈ s ∧ c ∈ s ∧ a ≠ b ∧ a ≠ c ∧ b ≠ c :=
+begin
+  classical,
+  refine ⟨λ h, _, _⟩,
+  { obtain ⟨c, hc⟩ := card_pos.mp (zero_lt_two.trans h),
+    have : 1 < (s.erase c).card := by rwa [←add_lt_add_iff_right 1, card_erase_add_one hc],
+    obtain ⟨a, b, ha, hb, hab⟩ := one_lt_card_iff.mp this,
+    exact ⟨a, b, c, mem_of_mem_erase ha, mem_of_mem_erase hb, hc,
+      hab, ne_of_mem_erase ha, ne_of_mem_erase hb⟩ },
+  { rintros ⟨a, b, c, ha, hb, hc, hab, hac, hbc⟩,
+    rw [←card_erase_add_one hc, ←card_erase_add_one (mem_erase_of_ne_of_mem hbc hb),
+        ←card_erase_add_one (mem_erase_of_ne_of_mem hab (mem_erase_of_ne_of_mem hac ha))],
+    apply nat.le_add_left },
+end
+
+lemma two_lt_card : 2 < s.card ↔ ∃ (a ∈ s) (b ∈ s) (c ∈ s), a ≠ b ∧ a ≠ c ∧ b ≠ c :=
+by simp_rw [two_lt_card_iff, exists_prop, exists_and_distrib_left]
+
 lemma exists_ne_of_one_lt_card (hs : 1 < s.card) (a : α) : ∃ b, b ∈ s ∧ b ≠ a :=
 begin
   obtain ⟨x, hx, y, hy, hxy⟩ := finset.one_lt_card.mp hs,