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乱套 (luàn tào) — to get into a mess, to fall into chaos (of a situation, plan, system)

Definition

Used when a plan, system, or situation spins out of control and becomes chaotic. Often appears with 乱了套 or 非…不可 to stress inevitability. Colloquial; not used in formal writing.

verb
to get into a messto fall into chaos (of a situation, plan, system)

Examples

  • ，乱套。
    Yào shi méi rén guǎn, zhè lǐ fēi luàn tào bù kě.
    If no one takes charge, this place is bound to fall into chaos.
  • ，。
    Jì huà quán luàn le tào, wǒ men dé chóng xīn ān pái.
    The plan has completely fallen apart; we have to rearrange it.
  • ，乱套。
    Nǐ bié zài tiān luàn le, bù rán zhēn yào luàn tào le.
    Don't make things worse, or it'll really get into a mess.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 大大dàlarge
  • 長長chánglong

套 is made from 大 (large) and 長 (long), originally for something long, with some reference to hair; it later came to mean a cover or a linked group.

Open 套 →
Appears in
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