脏乱 (zāng luàn) — dirty and messy (of a place) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Compound adjective for a place that is both dirty and messy, more emphatic than using 脏 or 乱 alone. Typically describes environments, not people.

adjective

dirty and messy (of a place)

Examples

脏乱。
Zhè ge fáng jiān tài zāng luàn le.
This room is too dirty and messy.
脏乱。
Tā de shū zhuō zǒng shì hěn zāng luàn.
His desk is always dirty and messy.
脏乱。
Gōng gòng cè suǒ yòu zāng luàn yòu chòu.
The public restroom is both dirty and smelly.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

脏 means dirty and 乱 means messy, so together they describe a place.

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 髒; 脏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 脏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (心脏) it is 臟; in others (脏) it is 髒.

骨葬髒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

葬

葬zàng髒zàng

Same sound today

The traditional form 髒 combines 骨 (bone) with 葬 (zàng) for the sound.

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.

𤔔乚亂

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.

Appears in

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