乱作一团

亂作一團

luànzuò-yìtuán

idiom

Meanings

HSK 3

孩子们一进教室就乱作一团。

Háizi men yī jìn jiàoshì jiù luànzuò-yìtuán.

The kids burst into the classroom and immediately it was pandemonium.

HSK 5

消息传来，现场乱作一团。

Xiāoxi chuánlái, xiànchǎng luànzuò-yìtuán.

When the news arrived, the scene descended into chaos.

history

Used by Lu Xun in 《热风·随感录三十三》, describing a muddled mix of Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Christian ideas: 乱作一团.

usage

Describes messy situations - crowds, rooms, schedules, arguments. Stronger and more visual than simple 混乱.

乱 luàn

作 zuò

一 yī

团 tuán