DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

混沌

Mandarin · pinyin hùn dùn

primal chaos (original state of the universe in Chinese mythology)
(of a situation) confused; chaotic
(of a person) muddle-headed; simple-minded

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

混: hùn · to mix, blend, mingle; to bumble along
沌: dùn · chaotic, confused; turbid, murky

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–4 · hun4 dun4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

2character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

混沌 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 6 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

wan6 dan6

Cantonese word readings for 混沌. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

(Chinese mythology) Hundun (the unclear, confused and nebulous state of the primordial world)
wholeness; inseparability
unclearness; indistinctness; obscurity; vagueness; obfuscation
silliness; stupidity
(Chinese mythology) hundun (legendary faceless creature)
(mathematics) chaos

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack