稀里糊涂 (xī li hú tú) — muddleheaded; befuddled; scatterbrained; careless; thoughtless; slipshod; perfunctory; going through the motions

Definition

A colloquial idiom for acting in a confused, careless, or half-awake way — not thinking clearly about what you're doing. Always describes how an action is performed, not a permanent trait.

bound form
muddleheadedbefuddledscatterbrainedcarelessthoughtlessslipshodperfunctorygoing through the motions

Examples

  • 稀里糊涂。
    Tā xī li hú tú dì wàng le jīn tiān yào kāi huì.
    He muddleheadedly forgot that there was a meeting today.
  • 稀里糊涂,。
    Bié xī li hú tú dì zuò jué dìng, xiān xiǎng qīng chǔ.
    Don't make a decision carelessly; think it through first.
  • 稀里糊涂,。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì xī li hú tú de, lǎo bǎn hěn bù mǎn yì.
    He always does things perfunctorily, and the boss is very dissatisfied.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
希
Same sound today

稀 has 禾 (grain) beside 希, and 希 gives the character its sound.

Open 稀 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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
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.

Open 糊 →

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shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú涂tú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

涂 has 氵 on the left, a form of 水 meaning water, and 余 on the right for the sound.

Open 涂 →

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