七手八脚

七手八腳

qīshǒu-bājiǎo

idiom

Meanings

1 with everyone pitching in at once
2 in a flurry of hands and feet
3 hectic and crowded

Characters

Examples

大家七手八脚地把桌子搬进屋。

Dàjiā qīshǒubājiǎo de bǎ zhuōzi bānjìn wū.

Everyone pitched in and hauled the table into the room.

孩子们七手八脚帮妈妈做饭。

Háizi men qīshǒubājiǎo bāng māma zuòfàn.

The kids swarmed in to help mom with dinner.

Tips

usage

Positive or neutral — highlights enthusiastic group effort, often a bit chaotic. Not used for a single person.

Stroke Order

七 qī

手 shǒu

八 bā

脚 jiǎo