手忙脚乱

手忙腳亂
shǒumángjiǎoluàn
idiom #20,878

Meanings

  1. 1 to act in a frantic flurry
  2. 2 flustered and frantic
  3. 3 to be in a mad rush

Examples

Tā dì yī cì zuòfàn, gǎo de shǒumángjiǎoluàn.
It was his first time cooking and he was in a complete frantic flurry.
Háizi tūrán fāshāo, māma shǒumángjiǎoluàn de zhǎo yào.
The child suddenly had a fever and the mother frantically searched for medicine.

Tips

memory
Picture your hands () busy () and your feet () in chaos () — every limb moving at once in a panicked scramble. The image of all four limbs going haywire captures the meaning perfectly.

Stroke Order

shǒu
máng
jiǎo
luàn