披头散发 pī tóu sàn fà disheveled hair

Explanation

形容头发蓬乱的样子，也比喻仪容不整、很狼狈的样子。

To describe the appearance of messy hair, also to describe an unkempt appearance and a very embarrassed situation.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，京城长安发生了一场大火，许多百姓家园尽毁，流离失所。其中有个叫阿香的女子，与家人走散，独自逃难。她几天几夜没合眼，又饿又累，披头散发，衣衫褴褛，如同一个从地狱中逃出来的幽魂。她跌跌撞撞地来到城郊的一处寺庙，看到庙里香火缭绕，僧人们正忙着救济灾民。阿香鼓起勇气走了进去，僧人们看到她披头散发，如此凄惨的模样，连忙上前施以援手，给她食物和住所，让她洗漱换衣。在寺庙的庇护下，阿香逐渐恢复了元气，也找到了失散的家人，最终安然度过了这场灾难。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, jīng chéng cháng ān fā shēng le yī chǎng dà huǒ, xǔ duō bǎi xìng jiā yuán jìn huǐ, liú lí shì suǒ. qí zhōng yǒu gè jiào ā xiāng de nǚ zǐ, yǔ jiā rén zǒu sàn, dú zì táo nàn. tā jǐ tiān jǐ yè méi hé yǎn, yòu è yòu lèi, pī tóu sàn fà, yī shān lán lǚ, rú tóng yī gè cóng dì yù zhōng táo chū lái de yōu hún. tā diē diē zhuàng zhuàng de lái dào chéng jiāo de yī chù sì miào, kàn dào miào lǐ xiāng huǒ liáo rào, sēng rén men zhèng máng zhe jiù jì zāi mín. ā xiāng gǔ qǐ yǒng qì zǒu le jìn qù, sēng rén men kàn dào tā pī tóu sàn fà, rú cǐ qī cǎn de mú yàng, lián máng shàng qián shī yǐ yuán shǒu, gěi tā shí wù hé zhù suǒ, ràng tā xǐ shù huàn yī. zài sì miào de bì hù xià, ā xiāng zhú jiàn huī fù le yuán qì, yě zhǎo dào le shī sàn de jiā rén, zōng yú ān rán dù guò le zhè chǎng zāi nàn.

During the Tang Dynasty, a great fire broke out in Chang'an, the capital city, leaving many people homeless and destitute. Among them was a young woman named Axiang, who had lost her family in the chaos and was forced to flee alone. She hadn’t slept for days, and was exhausted and hungry. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were tattered, making her look like a ghost escaped from hell. Staggering, she found refuge in a temple on the city outskirts. Seeing the temple’s smoke and the monks aiding the disaster victims, Axiang gathered her courage to enter. The sight of her disheveled appearance moved the monks, who immediately provided her with food, shelter, and clean clothes. Under the temple’s protection, Axiang gradually regained her strength and eventually reunited with her family, surviving the ordeal.

Usage

常用作谓语、定语；形容人很狼狈，头发凌乱的样子。

cháng yòng zuò wèi yǔ, dìng yǔ; xiáng rónɡ rén hěn láng bèi, tóu fa líng luàn de yàng zi

Often used as predicate or attributive; to describe someone who is very embarrassed, with disheveled hair.

Examples

• 她披头散发地冲了进来，吓了大家一跳。

  tā pī tóu sàn fà de chōng le jìn lái, xià le dà jiā yī tiào

  She rushed in with disheveled hair, startling everyone.

• 逃难的人们披头散发，衣衫褴褛。

  táo nàn de rén men pī tóu sàn fà, yī shān lán lǚ

  The refugees were disheveled and ragged, a pitiful sight to behold.

Related Idioms

• 蓬头垢面

• 不修边幅

Opposite Idioms

• 衣冠楚楚

• 打扮得体