一塌糊涂 yī tā hú tú a complete mess

Explanation

形容非常混乱，杂乱无章，形容事情做得不好，乱七八糟，毫无章法。

It describes something very messy and disorganized, something that is done badly, in a mess, without order. It often refers to a situation or task that is in a very bad state.

Origin Story

老李是一名厨师，他开了家小餐馆。起初生意不错，很多老顾客都喜欢他的手艺，也经常介绍朋友来光顾。可是，最近老李的餐馆生意却一落千丈，顾客越来越少，很多老顾客也渐渐不来了。老李对此感到很纳闷，他认真地反思了自己的做法，发现自己最近越来越懒散，食材的质量也不如以前了，再加上店里的卫生也越来越糟糕，导致很多老顾客都失望了。老李终于意识到了问题的严重性，他决心重新振作起来，严格要求自己，认真做好每一道菜，保证食材新鲜，并加强了店内卫生管理。一段时间后，老李的餐馆生意逐渐恢复，顾客也越来越多，老李的餐馆又回到了以前的兴旺景象。

lǎo lǐ shì yī míng chú shī, tā kāi le jiā xiǎo cān guǎn. qǐ chū shēng yì bù cuò, hěn duō lǎo gù kè dōu xǐ huan tā de shǒu yì, yě jīng cháng jiè shào péng you lái guāng gù. kě shì, zuì jìn lǎo lǐ de cān guǎn shēng yì què yī luò qiān zhàng, gù kè yuè lái yuè shǎo, hěn duō lǎo gù kè yě jiàn jiàn bù lái le. lǎo lǐ duì cǐ gǎn dào hěn nà mèn, tā rèn zhēn de fǎn sī le zì jǐ de zuò fǎ, fā xiàn zì jǐ zuì jìn yuè lái yuè lǎn sàn, shí cái de zhì liàng yě bù rú yǐ qián le, jiā shàng diàn lǐ de wèi shēng yě yuè lái yuè zāo gāo, dǎo zhì hěn duō lǎo gù kè dōu shī wàng le. lǎo lǐ zhōng yú yì shí dào le wèn tí de yán zhòng xìng, tā jué xīn chóng xīn zhèn zhuó qǐ lái, yán gé yāo qiú zì jǐ, rèn zhēn zuò hǎo měi yī dào cài, bǎo zhèng shí cái xīn xiān, bìng jiā qiáng le diàn nèi wèi shēng guǎn lǐ. yī duàn shí jiān hòu, lǎo lǐ de cān guǎn shēng yì zhú jiàn huī fù, gù kè yě yuè lái yuè duō, lǎo lǐ de cān guǎn yòu huí dào le yǐ qián de xīng wàng jǐng xiàng.

Old Li was a chef who opened a small restaurant. At first, business was good, and many regular customers liked his cooking and often introduced friends to come. However, recently, Old Li's restaurant business has plummeted, customers are getting fewer and fewer, and many regular customers are not coming anymore. Old Li was puzzled and seriously reflected on his actions. He found that he had become more and more lazy recently, the quality of the ingredients was not as good as before, and the hygiene in the store was also getting worse, which led to many regular customers being disappointed. Old Li finally realized the seriousness of the problem and decided to re-energize himself, strictly demand himself, carefully prepare every dish, ensure that the ingredients are fresh, and strengthen the hygiene management of the store. After a while, Old Li's restaurant business gradually recovered, more and more customers came, and Old Li's restaurant returned to its former prosperous scene.

Usage

形容事情或状况极其混乱，没有条理，完全失败。常用来表达一种失望或批评的态度。

xíng róng shì qíng huò zhuàng kuàng jí qí hùn luàn, méi yǒu tiáo lǐ, wán quán shī bài. cháng yòng lái biǎo dá yī zhǒng shī wàng huò pī píng de tài dù.

Describes a situation or outcome that is extremely chaotic and disorganized, without structure, and completely failed. It is often used to express disappointment or criticism.

Examples

• 他的工作做得一塌糊涂，根本没有章法。

  tā de gōng zuò zuò de yī tā hú tú, gēn běn méi yǒu zhāng fǎ.

  His work is a mess, there is no method at all.

• 这篇文章写得一塌糊涂，毫无逻辑可言。

  zhè piān wén zhāng xiě de yī tā hú tú, háo wú luó jí kě yán.

  This article is a mess, there is no logic at all.

• 这场比赛打得一塌糊涂，完全没有战术可言。

  zhè chǎng bǐ sài dǎ de yī tā hú tú, wán quán méi yǒu zhàn shù kě yán

  This game is a mess, there is no tactic at all.

Related Idioms

• 乱七八糟

• 一团糟

Opposite Idioms

• 井井有条

• 秩序井然