每天成语
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乱七八糟

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: luàn qī bā zāo
  • English Translation: A total mess (at sixes and sevens)
  • Idiom Composition: 「乱」（Disordered, messy, or lacking order.）＋「七 / 八」（Used as intensifiers to suggest a high degree of irregularity or variety; they do not represent actual numbers here.）＋「糟」（Originally meaning dregs or rotten grain; here it refers to a terrible or ruined state, as in the word 糟糕 (zāo gāo).）
  • Meaning: A state of extreme disorder or confusion, whether referring to physical objects, abstract situations, or mental states. It is a colloquial and highly common expression with a negative or critical nuance.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「乱七八糟」 contains the following nuances:

  • Physical Disorder: The most common usage refers to visual messiness where items are scattered and not tidied up.
  • Abstract Confusion: It also applies to invisible chaos, such as disorganized thoughts, sloppy planning, or complicated and messy interpersonal relationships.
  • The Role of Numbers: In Chinese, the numbers 七 (qī) and 八 (bā) are frequently paired to indicate 'many' or 'irregularity.' Similar to the English phrase 'at sixes and sevens,' these numbers function as intensifiers for the concept of chaos.

3. Usage

「乱七八糟」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Physical Environment: Used to critically describe a room, desk, or house that is cluttered and unorganized.
    • Example:「你的房间乱七八糟的，快点收拾一下！」
      （Your room is a total mess, hurry up and clean it!）
  • Mental State: Describes a state of mind where one is confused, overwhelmed, or unable to think clearly due to stress or bad news.
    • Example:「听到这个坏消息，我心里乱七八糟的，完全无法集中精力工作。」
      （After hearing the bad news, my mind was in a muddle, and I couldn't focus on work at all.）
  • Organization and Order: Refers to events, writing structures, or social order that lack proper management or coordination.
    • Example:「这次活动的组织简直是乱七八糟，连个像样的流程都没有。」
      （The organization of this event was a complete shambles; there wasn't even a proper schedule.）

Additional Examples:

  1. 别把这些文件放得乱七八糟，到时候找不到。
    （Don't leave these documents all over the place, or you won't be able to find them when you need them.）
  2. 他喝醉了，说的话乱七八糟，没人听得懂。
    （He is drunk and talking nonsense; nobody can understand him.）
  3. 现在的网络环境真是乱七八糟，什么谣言都有。
    （The current internet environment is a total mess, with all kinds of rumors flying around.）
  4. 经过那场暴风雨，花园里被弄得乱七八糟。
    （After that storm, the garden was left in a terrible state.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Colloquial Usage: This is a very common spoken expression. In formal writing or academic contexts, more sophisticated idioms like 杂乱无章 (zá luàn wú zhāng) are usually preferred.
  • Numerical Symbolism: Chinese contains many idioms using '7' and '8' to represent disorder, such as 横七竖八 (héng qī shù bā) meaning 'strewn about' or 七嘴八舌 (qī zuǐ bā shé) meaning 'everyone talking at once.'
  • Social Nuance: While it is fine to use with friends to describe a messy room, using 乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) to describe someone's work or creative output is a strong criticism, implying it is 'rubbish' or 'total nonsense.'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) is the most common colloquial way to describe anything that is "a mess." While the characters 七 (qī) and 八 (bā) literally mean seven and eight, they are used here figuratively to emphasize the degree of chaos. It is used frequently in daily conversation to criticize messy rooms, disorganized thoughts, or chaotic social situations.

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