撒烂污

撒爛污

sālànwū

idiom

Meanings

1 to do a careless, half-baked job
2 to act irresponsibly and leave a mess behind

Characters

to scatter, to let loose

Examples

这个项目交给他就是撒烂污，根本不能信。

Zhège xiàngmù jiāo gěi tā jiùshì sālànwū, gēnběn bù néng xìn.

Handing this project to him is asking for a sloppy mess; he can't be trusted.

做事要负责，别撒烂污让别人收拾。

Zuòshì yào fùzé, bié sālànwū ràng biérén shōushi.

Take responsibility for your work; don't leave a mess for others to clean up.

Tips

register

Colloquial and somewhat Wu-dialect-flavored (common in Shanghainese speech). The 烂污 literally means 'rotten filth,' so 撒烂污 paints a vivid picture of someone who 'spreads muck around' rather than doing a job properly.

Stroke Order

撒 sā

烂 làn

污 wū