丢三落四
丢三落四 (diū sān là sì) literally means “lose three drop four” and expresses “habitually forgetful and disorganized”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: diu san la si, diu san la si,丢三落四 meaning, 丢三落四 in english
Habitually forgetful and disorganized
Pronunciation: diū sān là sì Literal meaning: Lose three drop four
Origin & Usage
Ming Dynasty vernacular speech captured this pattern of losing three things (丢三) and dropping four (落四). The non-sequential numbers created a perfect image of random, unpredictable losses rather than systematic problems. Qing Dynasty officials adopted it to evaluate servant reliability. Today it describes that particular type of disorganization where items constantly go missing, revealing an underlying attention deficit rather than mere carelessness.
When to Use
Situation: She frequently misplaced her keys, phone, and important documents
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 丢三落四 mean in English?
丢三落四 (diū sān là sì) literally translates to “Lose three drop four” and is used to express “Habitually forgetful and disorganized”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 丢三落四 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving habitually forgetful and disorganized.
What is the pinyin for 丢三落四?
The pinyin pronunciation for 丢三落四 is “diū sān là sì”.