乱七八糟
luàn qī bā zāo
Utter disorder · trad. 亂七八糟
Describes a state of extreme disorder, whether physical or mental. It conveys that things are in a complete mess, lacking any order or structure.
What does 乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) mean?
乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) means "utter disorder" in English. Word for word, it breaks down as "a chaotic mess of sevens and eights."
Character by character
- 乱 luàn chaotic
- 七 qī seven
- 八 bā eight
- 糟 zāo messy
When to use it
Often used to express frustration or disapproval of the disarray. This idiom is colloquial and widely used in everyday conversation, applicable to a cluttered room, jumbled thoughts, or a chaotic situation.
Example
她越想越拿不定主意,心里乱七八糟的。
Tā yuè xiǎng yuè nábúdìng zhǔyi, xīnli luàn qī bā zāo de.
The more she thought about it, the more indecisive she became, and her mind was in utter chaos.
Pro tip: The numbers 七 (seven) and 八 (eight) in this idiom do not refer to specific quantities. They function as intensifiers, emphasizing the extreme degree of disorder rather than counting items.
Related idioms
两全其美 · Win-win outcome了如指掌 · Complete understanding马马虎虎 · Careless and sloppy
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