不可开交

不可開交

bùkě-kāijiāo

idiom #14,944

Meanings

1 to be awfully (busy, entangled, etc.)
2 inextricably; to an extreme degree

Characters

to open; to separate

to hand over; to intertwine

Examples

他们两个吵得不可开交。

Tāmen liǎng gè chǎo de bùkě-kāijiāo.

The two of them were arguing fiercely and couldn't stop.

最近工作忙得不可开交。

Zuìjìn gōngzuò máng de bùkě-kāijiāo.

I've been terribly busy with work lately.

Tips

grammar

不可开交 always follows a verb + 得 pattern: 忙得不可开交 (terribly busy), 吵得不可开交 (arguing fiercely), 打得不可开交 (fighting intensely). It cannot be used alone.

Stroke Order

不 bù

可 kě

开 kāi

交 jiāo