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蒙混过关 (méng hùn guò guān) — to get by under false pretenses; to slip through by deception

Definition

Idiom: to slip past a check or scrutiny by misleading or hiding the truth — i.e. 'get by under false pretenses.' Always implies deception against someone who is supposed to inspect or judge you.

idiom
to get by under false pretensesto slip through by deception

Examples

  • 蒙混过关，。
    Tā kǎo shì zuò bì xiǎng méng hùn guò guān, jié guǒ bèi fā xiàn le.
    He tried to get by cheating on the exam, but was caught in the end.
  • 蒙混过关，。
    Yòng jiǎ zhèng jiàn méng hùn guò guān shì bù xíng de, hǎi guān chá dé hěn yán.
    Using fake documents to slip through won't work; Customs inspection is very strict.
  • ，蒙混过关。
    Zhè cì jiǎn chá hěn zǐ xì, méi rén néng méng hùn guò guān.
    This inspection is very thorough; no one can get by under false pretenses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

蒙混deceive
蒙méngdeceive混hùnconfuse
联合Coordinate
过关pass a checkpoint
过guòpass关guāncheckpoint
动宾Verb + object

蒙混 describes deception used to get past 过关.

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 →

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 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →
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