蒙混 (méng hùn) — to deceive by pretending or by mixing things up, to hoodwink

Definition

蒙混 (mēnghùn) means to slip past someone by faking or muddling things — usually to pass inspection or escape blame. Often followed by 过去 or 过关 ('get past [a check]').

verb
to deceive by pretending or by mixing things up, to hoodwink

Examples

  • 。
    Tā shì tú yòng jiǎ wén jiàn méng hùn guò guān.
    He tried to get away with fake documents.
  • 蒙混，。
    Bié xiǎng méng hùn guò qù, wǒ men zǎo jiù zhī dào le.
    Don't think you can fool us; we already know.
  • 蒙混，。
    Tā méng hùn le kǎo guān, ná dào le jià zhào.
    He deceived the examiner and got his driver's license.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

蒙méngdeceive
混hùnconfuse/mix

蒙混 joins 蒙 'deceive' and 混 'confuse' to mean hoodwinking by mixing things up.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
冡
冡měng蒙méng
Same sound today

蒙 combines 艹 (grass) with 冡, which supplies the sound.

Open 蒙 →

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 →

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