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混乱 (hùn luàn) — chaotic, disorderly, in a mess

Definition

混乱 is a formal adjective for systems, situations, or minds in chaos — more written than the everyday 乱. Pairs with 状况/局面/秩序. Don't use it for a messy room (use 乱).

adjective
chaoticdisorderlyin a mess

Examples

  • 混乱，。
    Zhè lǐ de qíng kuàng fēi cháng hùn luàn, xū yào mǎ shàng chǔ lǐ.
    The situation here is very chaotic and needs to be dealt with immediately.
  • 混乱，。
    Tā de tóu nǎo yí piàn hùn luàn, shén me dōu xiǎng bù qǐ lái.
    His mind is in a mess; he can't remember anything.
  • 混乱，。
    Fáng jiān tài hùn luàn le, wǒ zhǎo bú dào yào shi.
    The room is too messy; I can't find my keys.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

混hùnconfused
乱luàndisorder

混 and 乱 both refer to disorder, so together they mean chaotic.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
昆
昆kūn混hùn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

混 pairs 氵 (water) on the left with 昆 on the right, which supplies the sound.

Open 混 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →
Appears in
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