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出乱子 (chū luàn zi) — to go wrong; to get into trouble

Definition

Colloquial verb meaning something goes wrong or turns into a mess — often used for plans, events, or situations running into trouble, not for people making mistakes.

verb
to go wrongto get into trouble

Examples

  • 出乱子。
    Zhè jiàn shì qiān wàn bù néng chū luàn zi.
    This matter absolutely must not go wrong.
  • ，。
    Shàng cì chū le yí gè dà luàn zi, dà jiā dōu bèi pī píng le.
    Last time a big trouble occurred, and everyone was criticized.
  • 出乱子。
    Tā xī wàng zhè cì de ān pái bú yào chū luàn zi.
    He hopes this arrangement won't go wrong.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

出chūproduce
乱子trouble
乱luàndisorder子zǐnoun-forming ending

出 (produce) and 乱子 (trouble) together mean that trouble appears and things go wrong.

Characters in this word

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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