Chinese–EnglishWith examples

烂摊子

làn tān zi · lan tan zi

Traditional 爛攤子

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. terrible mess; shambles
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In a conversation

0:17 cartoon

Who cleans up?

  1. Liangliang

    昨晚(zuówǎn)的(de)聚会(jùhuì)结束(jiéshù)了(le)，只剩(zhǐshèng)一个(yīgè)烂摊子(làntānzi)。

    Last night’s party is over. Only a big mess is left.

  2. Dengdeng

    谁(shéi)来(lái)收拾(shōushi)这个(zhège)烂摊子(làntānzi)？

    Who will clean up this mess?

  3. Liangliang

    谁(shéi)请客(qǐngkè)，谁(shéi)收拾(shōushi)。

    Whoever hosts cleans up.

  4. Dengdeng

    可是(kěshì)请客(qǐngkè)的(de)是(shì)你(nǐ)。

    But you were the host.

  5. Liangliang

    对(duì)哦(ò)，这(zhè)烂摊子(làntānzi)是(shì)我的(wǒde)。

    Oh right. This mess is mine.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

她(tā)很(hěn)快(kuài)就(jiù)这(zhè)烂(làn)摊(tān)子(zi)收(shōu)拾(shi)好(hǎo)了(le)。

She quickly cleaned up the mess.

02

新(xīn)经(jīng)理(lǐ)接(jiē)手(shǒu)了(le)这(zhè)个(ge)烂(làn)摊(tān)子(zi)，压(yā)力(lì)很(hěn)大(dà)。

The new manager took over this terrible mess and is under a lot of pressure.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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