不可开交

不可開交

bùkěkāijiāo

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 bùkěkāijiāo.

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 bùkěkāijiāo.

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