verb / adjective HSK 4
to mix · to blend · to get along · to muddle along · chaotic · confused
Meaning
混 primarily means to mix or blend things together. It also commonly means to get by or muddle through life without clear purpose, as in 混日子 (to drift through life). As an adjective, it describes something confused or chaotic.
Usage
In colloquial speech, 混 often carries a slightly negative connotation when referring to aimless living or social behavior (混得好 means doing well socially/professionally, but 混日子 implies wasting time). It's frequently used in compounds like 混乱 (chaotic) and 混合 (to mix/blend). Native speakers commonly use it to describe both physical mixing and social integration.
Examples
- 01不要把这两种颜色混在一起。.Don't mix these two colors together.
- 02他整天就知道混日子，没有什么目标。, .All he does is drift through life aimlessly; he has no goals.
Common collocations
- 混日子to drift through life aimlessly
- 混在一起to mix together
- 混得好to do well socially/professionally
- 混淆to confuse, to mix up
Antonyms
Origin
The character 混 combines the water radical 氵(water) with 昆 (elder brother/numerous), originally suggesting waters flowing together and blending.