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一团糟 (yī tuán zāo) — complete mess, chaos

Definition

A colloquial, emphatic noun for 'a total mess' (a situation, room, project). Stronger than 混乱, which describes chaotic state or disorder more neutrally.

noun
complete messchaos

Examples

  • 一团糟。
    Tā bǎ fáng jiān nòng dé yī tuán zāo.
    He made the room a complete mess.
  • 一团糟。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù yǐ jīng biàn chéng yī tuán zāo le.
    This project has already turned into a complete mess.
  • ，一团糟。
    Bàn gōng shì nèi yí piàn hùn luàn, jiǎn zhí yī tuán zāo.
    The office was in chaos, simply a complete mess.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 團; 团 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān團tuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 團 combines 囗 as a meaning part with 專 as a sound part; the story is about 團, not about 团.

Open 团 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
曹
曹cáo糟zāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

糟 pairs 米 (rice) with 曹, which gives its sound; the rice side points to liquor made from fermented rice, originally meaning unfiltered.

Open 糟 →
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