# 杯盘狼藉

bēi pán láng jí

Have dishes and cups scattered in disorder

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Cups and plates lie chaotically about

**Traditional Chinese:** 杯盤狼藉

**Register:** Descriptive · general

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe the messy table after a meal or party.

Usually concerns dining remains rather than any untidy room.

## Understanding the expression

The cups and plates identify a table that has been used enthusiastically and not yet cleared. The disorder may include leftover food, spilled drinks, and crowded dishes. It often closes a description of a lively meal or party, shifting attention from the guests to what they leave behind. The scene is untidy, but the phrase does not necessarily condemn the celebration or imply that anyone behaved badly.

## Examples

聚会结束，桌上杯盘狼藉。

### Traditional Chinese

聚會結束，桌上杯盤狼藉。

jù huì jié shù ， zhuō shàng bēi pán láng jí 。

After the party, the table was covered in scattered dishes.

孩子们吃完点心，茶几上杯盘狼藉。

### Traditional Chinese

孩子們吃完點心，茶几上杯盤狼藉。

hái zi men chī wán diǎn xīn ， chá jī shàng bēi pán láng jí 。

After the children ate snacks, the coffee table was a mess of dishes.

她望着杯盘狼藉的餐桌，开始收拾。

### Traditional Chinese

她望著杯盤狼藉的餐桌，開始收拾。

tā wàng zhe bēi pán láng jí de cān zhuō ， kāi shǐ shōu shí 。

She looked at the cluttered dining table and began cleaning.

客人走了，厨房里还是杯盘狼藉。

### Traditional Chinese

客人走了，廚房裡還是杯盤狼藉。

kè rén zǒu le ， chú fáng lǐ hái shì bēi pán láng jí 。

The guests had left, but cups and dishes still lay scattered in the kitchen.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%9D%AF%E7%9B%A4%E7%8B%BC%E8%97%89)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=403&webMd=1&la=0)

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