Definition
混沌 originally refers to the formless, primordial chaos that existed before the universe was created in Chinese mythology — the state before heaven and earth separated. By extension, it describes a state of innocence or naivety (like a child who doesn't understand the world's complexities) and can also mean something muddled, unclear, or unintelligible. As a noun, it names these states or concepts; when used attributively, it often pairs with 的.
noun
primordial chaosthe formless state before creation in Chinese cosmologya state of innocencenaivetyor ignorancea state of confusionmuddleor unintelligibility
Examples
- ，混沌。Zhōngguó gǔdài shénhuà rènwéi, tiāndì wèi fēn zhīqián shì yí piàn hùn dùn.Ancient Chinese mythology holds that before heaven and earth separated, there was a vast primal chaos.
- ，混沌。Zhè háizi tiānzhēn lànmàn, hái chǔyú yì zhǒng hùn dùn de zhuàngtài.This child is innocent and carefree, still in a state of naive ignorance.
- 混沌，。Tā de jiěshì yuè shuō yuè hùn dùn, dàjiā wánquán tīng bù dǒng.His explanation became more and more muddled, and everyone was completely lost.
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