迷茫 (mí máng) — (of a scene) vast and hazy, misty; (of a person) perplexed, dazed, feeling lost and uncertain

Definition

Adjective meaning both literally hazy (fog, scene) and, more commonly at HSK 7, a person's lost, dazed mental state — not knowing which way to go.

adjective
(of a scene) vast and hazymisty(of a person) perplexeddazedfeeling lost and uncertain

Examples

  • 迷茫
    Bì yè yǐ hòu, tā duì wèi lái gǎn dào hěn mí máng.
    After graduation, he felt very lost about the future.
  • 迷茫
    Dà wù zhōng, sì zhōu yí piàn mí máng, shén me dōu kàn bù qīng.
    In the thick fog, everything around was hazy and nothing could be seen clearly.
  • 迷茫
    Tā zuì jìn hěn mí máng, bù zhī dào yīng gāi jì xù gōng zuò hái shì qù dú shū.
    She's been very confused lately, not knowing whether to keep working or go back to school.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

迷 'lost' and 茫 'hazy' describe a misty scene or a person who feels uncertain.

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
chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

Open 迷 →

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
Written in full ascǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
mángmáng
Same sound today

茫 has 艹 (grass) and 汒, which gives the sound máng.

Open 茫 →

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