sau2 mong4 goek3 lyun6手忙腳亂手忙脚乱
Jyutpingsau2 mong4 goek3 lyun6
Yalesáu mòhng geuk lyuhn
Definition
To be in a great bustle; to get into a fluster or be disorganized due to a heavy workload.
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom captures the physical and mental chaos of juggling too many tasks simultaneously. It is frequently used to describe a situation where someone loses their composure because the workload exceeds their capacity to manage it calmly. While it describes a state of being, it is often used with the causative verb 搞到 to explain how a specific event or person triggered the panic.
Examples
You asked me to do so many things at once, it has me all flustered.
keoi5佢ping4平si4時zou6做je5嘢hou2好jau5有tiu4條lei5理，dim2點gaai2解gam1今jat6日wui2會sau2手mong4忙goek3腳lyun6亂le1呢？
They are usually very organized at work, why are they so flustered today?
Related words
Common phrases
to cause someone to be in a fluster
to become flustered
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a verb meaning to work hard, but it specifically refers to the state of being disorganized or flustered due to pressure. It is not used to describe someone who is simply busy or productive.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
