wan6 ngaau4混淆
Jyutpingwan6 ngaau4
Yalewahn ngàauh
Definition
To confuse, mix up, or obscure; to be unable to distinguish, or to make something indistinguishable.
writtencommunicationother
How it's used
Formal contexts often favor this term, though it appears in set phrases like 混淆視聽. It carries a sense of deliberate or accidental blurring of boundaries between distinct concepts. Unlike everyday words for mixing things up, this implies a loss of clarity that makes it difficult for others to distinguish the truth.
Examples
Don't mix up those two things when you talk about them.
He speaks very vaguely and is always trying to confuse the public.
Related words
Common phrases
to confuse public opinion
to confuse concepts
Common mistake
Learners often use this as a direct synonym for 搞亂, but 搞亂 is much more versatile and informal, typically referring to physical disorder or causing a mess, whereas 混淆 specifically targets the cognitive act of failing to differentiate between two abstract ideas.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
