模糊不清 (mó hu bù qīng) — (set phrase) indistinct, fuzzy, blurred (especi… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A vivid 4-character idiom for 'blurred and unclear' — literal sight (a photo, handwriting) or figurative (a memory, a recollection). Stronger and more literary than simply saying 不清楚.

idiom

(set phrase) indistinctfuzzyblurred (especially with age or poor clarity)

Examples

模糊不清。
Zhè zhāng lǎo zhào piàn yǐ jīng mó hu bù qīng le.
This old photo has already become blurred.
模糊不清，。
Tā xiě de zì mó hu bù qīng, kàn bù qīng chǔ.
The characters he wrote are indistinct and cannot be seen clearly.
模糊不清，。
Nà duàn jì yì yǐ jīng mó hu bù qīng, wǒ jì bù qīng xì jié le.
That memory has become hazy; I can't recall the details.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木莫模

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

莫

莫mò模mó

Same sound today

The left part 木 is tree; the right part 莫 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

米胡糊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

胡

胡hú糊hú

Same sound today

糊 pairs 米 (rice) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound. The 米 part relates to the meaning.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵青清

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng清qīng

Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Appears in

Idioms & Set Phrases

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