乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo)

Character breakdown

• 乱 (luàn) · 7 strokes

  Simplified form of 亂. Depicts two hands (爪, 又) organizing tangled threads.

• 七 (qī) · 2 strokes

  Depicts two lines crossing. Based on the original meaning "cut", now written as 切. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

• 八 (bā) · 2 strokes

  Pictograph of two lines facing away from each other. The current meaning "eight" is a phonetic loan. The original meaning "separate" is now written as 別.

• 糟 (zāo) · 17 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 曹 represents the sound.

Usage

他的房间乱七八糟，该收拾了。

(idiom) chaotic; in disorder; muddled

tā de fáng jiān luàn qī bā zāo ， gāi shōu shí le 。