Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
惛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
hūnconfused, forgetful; senile; stupidzg, 11 strokes, radical 忄, Very Hard
hūnsillyunknown, 11 strokes, radical 忄, Very Hard
hūn(hun1) T1
  1. 1confused, forgetful; senile; stupid
  2. 2silly
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
hūn(hun1)

The character 惛 (hūn) describes a state of confusion or forgetfulness, often implying a lack of mental clarity. It can refer to someone who is senile or acting silly, and is typically used in informal contexts to express that someone is not thinking clearly or is absent-minded.

Strokes11RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, terms describing mental clarity and confusion often relate to age and wisdom. The word 惛 can reflect societal views on aging and the expectations for mental acuity in older adults.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person trying to remember something important but their mind feels like a foggy 'hūn' (混) cloud. The character is composed of '心' (heart/mind) and '惚' (to confuse), symbolizing a confused heart or mind.

Meanings of 惛

hūn(hun1)
1confused, forgetful; senile; stupid
2silly
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 惛

Simplified
11Strokes
Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 惛

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 惛

Quick Contrast

惚 (hū) - use 惛 when referring to a state of confusion or forgetfulness, while 惚 indicates infatuation or a strong attraction.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person trying to remember something important but their mind feels like a foggy 'hūn' (混) cloud. The character is composed of '心' (heart/mind) and '惚' (to confuse), symbolizing a confused heart or mind.

Usage Notes

Learners should be cautious not to confuse 惛 with similar-sounding characters such as '昏' (hūn), which means 'dusk' or 'faint'. It is used informally and may not be appropriate in formal writing. Common collocations include 惛头 (hūntóu) for 'confused head'.

HSK Study Tips

Although 惛 is not part of the official HSK levels, it connects to other HSK vocabulary related to mental states, like '忘' (wàng, to forget) and '糊涂' (hútú, confused). Focus on understanding its usage in colloquial speech to enhance conversational skills.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, terms describing mental clarity and confusion often relate to age and wisdom. The word 惛 can reflect societal views on aging and the expectations for mental acuity in older adults.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 惛 with 惚 (hū), which means 'to confuse'. For example, saying '他很惚' (tā hěn hū) instead of '他很惛' (tā hěn hūn) alters the meaning significantly. Always ensure you are using the correct character based on the intended context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 惛

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 惛

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

Night falling 昏 on the mind 忄; 昏 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 惛?

Decomposition of 惛

IDS Structure⿰忄昏
Full Character
=
xin1
left
hun1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 惛?

Write 惛

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 惛

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, terms describing mental clarity and confusion often relate to age and wisdom. The word 惛 can reflect societal views on aging and the expectations for mental acuity in older adults.

Word Family of 惛

Words Containing This Character1
hūnconfused
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 惛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 惛

It's not frequently used in daily conversation, but it can be heard in informal contexts when describing someone who is acting confused.