TongTong
Sign in

骚乱 (sāo luàn) — to create a disturbance; to riot

Definition

Used for a violent public disturbance — crowds clashing with police or each other in the streets. Stronger than 闹事 (general troublemaking) and more active than 风波 (a political/social dispute).

verb
to create a disturbanceto riot

Examples

  • 骚乱。
    Bú yào zài chéng shì zhōng xīn sāo luàn.
    Don't riot in the city center.
  • 骚乱。
    Nà xiē rén shì tú zài guǎng chǎng shàng sāo luàn.
    Those people tried to create a disturbance in the square.
  • 骚乱。
    Zhèng fǔ jǐng gào mín zhòng bú yào sāo luàn.
    The government warned the public not to riot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

骚sāounrest
乱luàndisorder

骚 (unrest) and 乱 (disorder) together convey a riot or disturbance.

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 騷; 骚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
蚤
蚤zǎo騷sāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騷 pairs 馬 (horse) with 蚤 as a sound component; the simplified 骚 is a shorthand.

Open 骚 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Crime & Police

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.