English–Chinese
“be flustered” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinshǒu máng jiǎo luàn
Example
妈妈看到孩子摔倒，手忙脚乱地跑过去扶他。mā mā kàn dào hái zi shuāi dǎo shǒu máng jiǎo luàn dì pǎo guò qù fú tā
When Mom sees her child fall, she rushes over in a fluster to help the child up.
How to say “be flustered” in Chinese
“Be flustered” in Chinese is 手忙脚乱 (shǒu máng jiǎo luàn).
A burst of confused activity when sudden pressure makes actions lose their order.
Example sentences with 手忙脚乱
开会时他突然结巴，显得手忙脚乱。kāi huì shí tā tū rán jiē ba xiǎn de shǒu máng jiǎo luàn
During the meeting, he suddenly stammered and appeared flustered.
Tips for using 手忙脚乱
- In conversation, the idiom often comes before the action it describes and marks a sudden scramble rather than ordinary busyness or a planned rush.