verwirrt
/fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁt/
The English word "confused" is translated into German as verwirrt. Wiktionary also lists durcheinander and konfus.
Meaning: unable to think clearly or understand (adj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| verwirrt | /fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁt/ |
| durcheinander | /dʊʁçʔaɪ̯ˈnandɐ/ |
| konfus | /kɔnˈfuːs/ |
| wirr | /vɪr/ /viːr/ |
The term refers to being unable to think clearly or understand.
What does it mean word for word?
The word verwirrt is derived from the verb verwirren, which literally means to entangle or twist something up.
Which one should you use?
While verwirrt describes a mental state of confusion, durcheinander is often used to describe a state of being disorganized or having one's thoughts in a mess. For a more poetic or literary way to describe something that is chaotic, disordered or muddled, you can use wirr.
How do you pronounce it?
/fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁt/
Did you know?
- The adjective konfus is a direct relative of the English word 'confused'. Both stem from the Latin 'confusus', meaning 'poured together' or 'mixed up'.
- The word durcheinander is a compound of the preposition durch meaning 'through' and einander meaning 'each other'. It literally describes a state where things are moving 'through one another' in a messy way.
- In German, the concept of confusion is often tied to the word wirr, which also describes a 'labyrinthine' or 'convoluted' plot in a book or movie.
Examples in context
- Er sah verwirrt aus.He looked confused.The sentence shows how to use verwirrt to describe someone's appearance.Tatoeba #725994 by Dejo, translation #6383703 by Hybrid
- Ich bin so verwirrt!I'm so confused.The sentence shows an exclamation of being confused using verwirrt.Tatoeba #1791662 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1780110 by Spamster
- Ich war so verwirrt.I was so confused.The sentence shows a past tense use of verwirrt.Tatoeba #10248113 by wolfgangth, translation #5157798 by CK
- Ich bin verwirrtI am confused
- Das verwirrt michThat confuses me
- Ich bin ratlosI am clueless
- Er schien ratlos zu seinHe seemed puzzled
- Ich bin total planlosI am completely clueless
- Ich bin total durch den WindI am completely confused
- Sie wirkt total durch den WindShe seems totally confused
- Ich bin total verwirrt. Ich habe den Text zweimal gelesen, aber ich verstehe immer noch nicht, worum es geht.I am completely confused. I have read the text twice, but I still don't understand what it's about.
- 226 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are discussing a complicated math problem.
- HannahMaximilian, verstehst du diese Aufgabe?Maximilian, do you understand this task?
- MaximilianNein, ich bin durch die Formeln verwirrt.No, I am confused by the formulas.
- HannahDas geht mir auch so.I feel the same way.
- MaximilianWir sollten vielleicht einen Lehrer fragen.Maybe we should ask a teacher.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “confused” translations and entries verwirrt, durcheinander, konfus, wirr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries durcheinander, konfus, wirr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
