手忙脚乱

手忙腳亂
shǒumáng-jiǎoluàn
idiom #20,878

Meanings

  1. 1 to act in a frantic flurry
  2. 2 flustered and frantic
  3. 3 to be in a mad rush

Examples

HSK 3
Háizi tūrán fāshāo, māma shǒumángjiǎoluàn de zhǎo yào.
The child suddenly had a fever and the mother frantically searched for medicine.
HSK 5
Tā dìyī cì zuòfàn, gǎo de shǒumángjiǎoluàn.
It was his first time cooking and he was in a complete frantic flurry.

Tips

memory
Picture your hands (手) busy (忙) and your feet (脚) in chaos (乱) - every limb moving at once in a panicked scramble. The image of all four limbs going haywire captures the meaning perfectly.

Stroke Order

手 shǒu
忙 máng
脚 jiǎo
乱 luàn