Definition
烂摊子 literally means 'rotten stall' but is used figuratively for a messy, chaotic situation left behind by someone — like an unfinished project, a mismanaged company, or a broken relationship. It's usually paired with verbs like 收拾 (to clean up) or 留下 (to leave behind). The tone is always negative and implies that the mess is difficult or unpleasant to fix.
n.
shamblesawful mess (a disastrous situation left unresolved by someone)
Examples
- ，烂摊子。Tā cízhí le, bǎ zhège làn tān zǐ liú gěi le tóngshì.He quit and left this mess to his colleagues.
- 烂摊子，。Shàng yī rèn jīnglǐ liú xià de làn tān zǐ, wǒmen huā le bàn nián cái shōushi hǎo.The mess the previous manager left behind took us six months to clean up.
- 烂摊子，。Zhège ànzi yǐjīng chéng le làn tān zǐ, shéi jiēshǒu dōu tóuténg.This case has become a total mess; it's a headache for whoever takes it over.
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