Chinese word

糊涂

Pronunciation

Pinyinhú tú

Meaning

  • adjectiveconfused

Example

现在我有点糊涂，请再说一遍。xiàn zài wǒ yóu diǎn hú tú qǐng zài shuō yí biàn

I am a little confused now, so please say it again.

Illustration for 糊涂 (confused)

More examples

他的话把我弄糊涂了。tā de huà bǎ wǒ nòng hú tú le

His words confused me.

Core concept

A mind is covered over, so details and the right judgment do not come into clear focus.

Common phrases

  • 有点糊涂yóu diǎn hú tú

    a little confused

  • 脑子糊涂nǎo zi hú tú

    muddleheaded

  • 让人糊涂ràng rén hú tú

    confusing

Similar words

迷糊mí hū: A hazy, absent-minded state in which thoughts or surroundings are not clear.
困惑kùn huò: A puzzled state caused by surprise or questions, with no clear idea what to do.
混乱hùn luàn: A disordered state in which things lose their order and coherence.
模糊mó hú: A blurred state in which a shape or meaning is not clear.

Definition in Chinese

思想不清楚，暂时不能分清事物或做出正确判断。sī xiǎng bù qīng chǔ zàn shí bù néng fēn qīng shì wù huò zuò chū zhèng què pàn duàn

Word origin

糊涂 (hútú, "confused") combines 糊 (hú, "paste") and 涂 (tú, "smear"), suggesting thoughts covered until they are difficult to see through clearly.

Usage tips

  • The adjective often describes a speaker's own temporary lapse, so it can repair a conversation without making a harsh judgment about anyone's ability.

Other meanings

  • absent-mindedadjective
  • mixed upadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 糊涂账hú tú zhàngmuddled accountnoun
  • 糊涂鬼hú tú guǐscatterbrainnoun

Word lists with this word