丢三落四
- Literal
- drop three, leave four
- Figurative
- To be scatterbrained and forgetful, always leaving things behind or losing them. Said of someone who does things carelessly and forgets half of them.
Where does 丢三落四 come from?
It does not come from a specific anecdote; it is a long-established colloquial expression. It is built from two numbers (three and four) that count nothing here but evoke “a bit of everything” and so the disarray of someone who keeps leaving things behind. It already appears in the classic novel 《红楼梦》 (18th century), in chapter 67. Note: here 落 is read là (not luò), with the sense of “to leave behind or forget something”.
Source (出处): 《红楼梦》
How is 丢三落四 used? Two examples
- 他做事总是丢三落四，钥匙又忘在公司了。
He always does things in a scatterbrained way: he left his keys at the office again.
- 出门前再检查一遍行李，别丢三落四的。
Before you leave, check your luggage once more and don't go leaving things behind.
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