困惑
kùnhuò
The English phrase "confused" can be translated into Chinese as 困惑 (kùnhuò).
困惑 is used to describe a state of being unable to think clearly or understand. If you want to describe something that *causes* confusion, such as a confusing problem, use the structure 令人困惑, which literally means "makes people confused".
Meaning: unable to think clearly or understand (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 困惑 is composed of 困 (kùn), meaning 'to be trapped or distressed' and 惑 (huò), meaning 'to be puzzled or confused'.
Which one should you use?
While 困惑 implies a deep or intellectual confusion about a situation, the term 迷糊 is used for a more superficial, dazed or 'fuzzy' state of mind.
How do you pronounce it?
kùnhuò
Did you know?
- The first character in 困惑, 困, depicts a person trapped inside a wooden enclosure. This visualizes the feeling of being 'trapped' by a difficult problem.
- The word 糊 (hú), found in the term 迷糊, literally means 'paste' or 'glue'. This implies that a confused mind is 'sticky' or 'unclear' like a paste.
- In a professional setting, saying 我不明白 (I don't understand) is often preferred over 我很困惑 (I am confused). The latter can sound overly dramatic or existential for a simple misunderstanding of instructions.
Examples in context
- 每个人都很困惑Everybody was confused.This sentence is useful for showing how to say that everybody was confused using 困惑.Tatoeba #5414469 by Janevy, translation #5414451 by CK
- 我真的很困惑。I was really confused.This sentence is useful for expressing that you were really confused using 困惑.Tatoeba #9962521 by GlossaMatik, translation #4496851 by CK
- 你看起來有困惑。You look like you're confused.This sentence is useful for describing how someone looks confused using 困惑.Tatoeba #6624660 by verdastelo9604, translation #6350952 by CK
- 我对这个问题感到困惑。I am confused about this problem.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a difficult homework assignment.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这道数学题让你感到困惑吗？Zhè dào shùxué tí ràng nǐ gǎndào kùnhuò ma?Does this math problem make you feel confused?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，我完全看不懂。Shì de, wǒ wánquán kàn bù dǒng.Yes, I don't understand it at all.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也很困惑，我们去问老师吧。Wǒ yě hěn kùnhuò, wǒmen qù wèn lǎoshī ba.I am also confused, let's go ask the teacher.
- 梓涵 Zihan好主意，走吧。Hǎo zhǔyì, zǒu ba.Good idea, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “confused” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
