noun / verb / adjective HSK 5
paste · muddled · burnt · to paste · to blur
Meaning
糊 is a versatile character with multiple pronunciations and meanings. As 'hú', it primarily means paste or to paste, referring to a thick adhesive substance made from flour or starch. It can also describe something that is muddled, confused, or unclear.
Usage
This character has three main pronunciations: hú (paste, muddled), hù (used in 糊口 'to make a living'), and hū (used in 糊涂 'confused'). In everyday speech, 糊 most commonly appears in compounds rather than alone. When describing food as burnt or scorched, natives say 糊了 (hú le).
Examples
- 01饭烧糊了，有股焦味儿。, .The rice is burnt; there's a scorched smell.
- 02我用浆糊把照片贴在墙上。.I used paste to stick the photos on the wall.
Common collocations
- 糊了burnt, scorched
- 一塌糊涂in a complete mess
- 难得糊涂ignorance is bliss
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 米 (rice) radical on the left with 胡 (barbarian, recklessly) as a phonetic component, suggesting something made from grain that has a thick, unclear consistency.