Chinese Character: 糊
1. Character Basics
Radical: 米/mǐ (rice/grain) + 胡/hú (foreign)
Stroke Count: 15 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hú, Hū, Hù (Multiple tones depending on usage)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning:
- Hú: Paste; glue; paste-like substance; confused
- Hū: To stick with paste; to smear; to cover
- Hù: Burnt; scorched; muddled
Extended Meanings:
- To describe something that is sticky or pasty
- To describe a confused or muddled state
- To describe something that is burnt or scorched
Additional Notes: This character has multiple pronunciations and meanings depending on the context, which is common in Chinese.
4. Common Words
- 糊涂 (hú tu) - Confused; muddled
Example: 他太糊涂了，居然忘记带钥匙。(Tā tài hú tu le, jūrán wàngjì dài yàoshi.) - He's so confused that he forgot to bring his keys.
- 糊墙 (hū qiáng) - To paste wallpaper
Example: 我们需要糊墙来装饰房间。(Wǒmen xūyào hū qiáng lái zhuāngshì fángjiān.) - We need to paste wallpaper to decorate the room.
- 面糊 (miàn hú) - Batter; paste made from flour
Example: 做煎饼需要先调面糊。(Zuò jiānbǐng xūyào xiān tiáo miàn hú.) - You need to prepare the batter first to make pancakes.
- 糊锅 (hù guō) - To burn food in a pot/pan
Example: 小心别把饭糊锅了。(Xiǎoxīn bié bǎ fàn hù guō le.) - Be careful not to burn the rice in the pot.
- 糨糊 (jiàng hú) - Paste; glue made from starch
Example: 用糨糊把这两张纸粘在一起。(Yòng jiàng hú bǎ zhè liǎng zhāng zhǐ zhān zài yīqǐ.) - Use paste to stick these two pieces of paper together.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Can be used as a noun, verb, or adjective depending on pronunciation and context
Pronunciation Notes:
- Hú (第二声): Usually used as a noun meaning "paste" or "glue," or as an adjective meaning "confused"
- Hū (第一声): Usually used as a verb meaning "to paste" or "to smear"
- Hù (第四声): Usually used as a verb meaning "to burn" or "to scorch"
Common Structures:
- 名词结构 (Noun structure): 面糊, 糨糊
- 动词结构 (Verb structure): 糊墙, 糊窗户, 糊锅
- 形容词结构 (Adjective structure): 糊涂, 糊里糊涂
Usage Notes: Pay attention to the different pronunciations and meanings of this character in different contexts.
6. Cultural Background
The character 糊 has various cultural and practical applications in Chinese life:
- Traditional Crafts: In traditional Chinese paper-cutting and window decoration, paste (糨糊) is used to stick paper decorations to windows.
- Culinary Culture: Many Chinese dishes use batter (面糊) as an ingredient, such as fried tofu or vegetables coated in batter.
- Language and Idioms: The character appears in many idioms and expressions, such as "糊里糊涂" (hú lǐ hú tú) meaning "muddled" or "confused."
- Everyday Life: In daily conversation, 糊涂 (confused) is a common term to describe someone who is not thinking clearly.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1 (Hú pronunciation):
中文: 他年纪大了，有时候会犯糊涂。
Pinyin: Tā niánjì dà le, yǒu shíhòu huì fàn hú tu.
English: He's getting old and sometimes becomes confused.
Example 2 (Hū pronunciation):
中文: 请帮我把这张海报糊在墙上。
Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ zhè zhāng hǎibào hū zài qiáng shàng.
English: Please help me paste this poster on the wall.
Example 3 (Hù pronunciation):
中文: 我刚才在打电话，结果把饭煮糊了。
Pinyin: Wǒ gāngcái zài dǎ diànhuà, jiéguǒ bǎ fàn zhǔ hù le.
English: I was on the phone just now and ended up burning the rice.
8. Memory Tips
Here are some tips to help you remember the character 糊:
- Structure Memory: The character consists of 米 (rice/grain) and 胡 (foreign). You can imagine a "foreign" way of using rice to make paste or batter.
- Pronunciation and Meaning Association:
- Hú (第二声): Think of "糊里糊涂" (confused) - sounds like "who" in English
- Hū (第一声): Think of the action of "糊墙" (pasting walls) - sounds like "hoo"
- Hù (第四声): Think of burning food - the sound when food is burning
- Vocabulary Grouping: Group words by pronunciation:
- Hú: 糊涂, 糨糊
- Hū: 糊墙, 糊窗户
- Hù: 糊锅, 烧糊
- Stroke Order Practice: Practice writing the character following the correct stroke order, starting with the rice radical.
- Real-life Association: Associate the character with common activities like pasting paper, making batter for cooking, or accidentally burning food.