乱七八糟
乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) literally means “chaotic seven eight messy” and expresses “complete disorganization and messiness”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: luan qi ba zao, luan qi ba zao,乱七八糟 meaning, 乱七八糟 in english
Complete disorganization and messiness
Pronunciation: luàn qī bā zāo Literal meaning: Chaotic seven eight messy
Origin & Usage
Chaotic (乱) seven (七) eight (八) and a mess (糟). The seven-and-eight construction is Chinese shorthand for disorder, and a popular etymology connects the numbers to two historical catastrophes, the Rebellion of the Seven States under the Han and the War of the Eight Princes under the Jin. That derivation is almost certainly retrofitted. The phrase is thoroughly colloquial, at home describing a room, a schedule or an explanation, and it has no literary dignity at all.
Examples
English: "After the children's birthday party, the living room was completely disorganized"
Chinese: 孩子们的生日派对之后，客厅完全乱七八糟
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
七上八下
qī shàng bā xià
Anxious and unsettled
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七手八脚
qī shǒu bā jiǎo
Many people busily working together in disorder
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四通八达
sì tōng bā dá
Extending in all directions; well-connected
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半斤八两
bàn jīn bā liǎng
Essentially the same despite appearances
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十有八九
shí yǒu bā jiǔ
Very high probability at about 80-90 percent
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七嘴八舌
qī zuǐ bā shé
Everyone talking at once; lively discussion
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丢三落四
diū sān là sì
Habitually forgetful and disorganized
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五花八门
wǔ huā bā mén
A bewildering variety; all kinds of
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 乱七八糟 mean in English?
乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) literally translates to “Chaotic seven eight messy” and is used to express “Complete disorganization and messiness”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 乱七八糟 used?
Situation: After the children's birthday party, the living room was completely disorganized
What is the pinyin for 乱七八糟?
The pinyin pronunciation for 乱七八糟 is “luàn qī bā zāo”.
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