不可开交
不可开交 (bù kě kāi jiāo) literally means “cannot untangle the entanglement” and expresses “extremely busy; inextricably involved”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: bu ke kai jiao, bu ke kai jiao,不可开交 meaning, 不可开交 in english
Extremely busy; inextricably involved
Pronunciation: bù kě kāi jiāo Literal meaning: Cannot untangle the entanglement
Origin & Usage
Unable (不可) to get free (开交). 开交 is to disentangle and separate, and the phrase survives only in the negative — nobody is ever 可开交. It began with combatants locked together and unable to break off, and the modern sense keeps that: what it describes is not having a great deal to do but being unable to put any of it down. Chinese puts 忙得 in front of it — 忙得不可开交, busy past the point of extraction — and also uses it of quarrels neither side can now leave.
Examples
English: "They were so busy they couldn't handle everything."
Chinese: 他们忙得不可开交。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
百感交集
bǎi gǎn jiāo jí
Complex emotions
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半面之交
bàn miàn zhī jiāo
Superficial acquaintance without depth
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莫逆之交
mò nì zhī jiāo
Be bosom friends
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刎颈之交
wěn jǐng zhī jiāo
Be sworn friends; absolute loyalty
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远交近攻
yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng
Strategic prioritization
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不可救药
bù kě jiù yào
Beyond hope of redemption or reform
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不可思议
bù kě sī yì
Beyond comprehension or explanation
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势不可挡
shì bù kě dǎng
Unstoppable; irresistible momentum
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 不可开交 mean in English?
不可开交 (bù kě kāi jiāo) literally translates to “Cannot untangle the entanglement” and is used to express “Extremely busy; inextricably involved”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 不可开交 used?
Situation: They were so busy they couldn't handle everything.
What is the pinyin for 不可开交?
The pinyin pronunciation for 不可开交 is “bù kě kāi jiāo”.