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糊里糊涂 (hú lǐ hú tū) — muddled, confused (mentally); thoughtless, slipshod (in action)

Definition

An adjective-like verb meaning 'muddled and confused' — describes a person acting without thinking clearly, often used as 糊里糊涂地 + verb. Pairs easily with 糊涂 (HSK 6) but adds a stronger sense of repeated careless action.

verb
muddledconfused (mentally)thoughtlessslipshod (in action)

Examples

  • 糊里糊涂，。
    Tā jīn tiān hú lǐ hú tū de, bǎ shǒu jī luò zài jiā lǐ le.
    He was so muddled today that he left his phone at home.
  • 糊里糊涂，。
    Bié hú lǐ hú tū dì dā ying bié rén, xiān xiǎng qīng chǔ.
    Don't agree to others thoughtlessly; think it through first.
  • 糊里糊涂，。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì hú lǐ hú tū, jīng cháng chū cuò.
    He always does things in a slipshod way and often makes mistakes.

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
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.

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 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesThinking & Cognition

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