千疮百孔
qiān chuāng bǎi kǒng
riddled with holes; in a terrible state; full of problems
Character by character
千qiān
thousand
thousand
疮chuāng
sores
sores
百bǎi
hundred
hundred
孔kǒng
holes
holes
Example
战争结束的时候，这座城市已经千疮百孔。
By the end of the war the city was battered and broken.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Literally a body covered in sores and holes. Used for buildings, roads and cities damaged by war or neglect, and for systems or finances riddled with problems: 千疮百孔的经济. Also written 百孔千疮.
Learn this in Lesson 236 · HSK 9+: 敦煌 (Dunhuang: the Mogao Caves)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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