糊里糊涂

糊裡糊塗

húlihútú

adjective #25,523

Meanings

1 confused
2 muddled
3 in a daze
4 vague and unclear-headed

Characters

inside (structural, weakened)

paste/muddled (repeated)

to smear/confused

Examples

他糊里糊涂地签了合同。

Tā húlihútú de qiān le hétong.

He signed the contract in a confused daze.

我糊里糊涂地走错了方向。

Wǒ húlihútú de zǒu cuò le fāngxiàng.

I went in the wrong direction without realizing it.

Tips

memory

Think of 糊 (paste/thick porridge) — a brain full of paste is confused and unclear. The ABAB reduplication pattern (糊里糊涂) is a common idiom structure that intensifies the state.

Stroke Order

糊 hú

里 lǐ

涂 tú