惑 meaning and stroke order
To confuse, to mislead; to doubt
How to write 惑, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 惑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to confuse
- to be puzzled
How 惑 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An uncertain 或 heart 心; 或 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 惑
惑 is 或 (huò, "or, perhaps") sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). A heart stuck on "this or that" is a confused, doubting heart, and 或 also gives the sound huò.
惑 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in two-character words like 困惑 (kùnhuò), 疑惑 (yíhuò) and 诱惑 (yòuhuò). Example: 我对这个问题很困惑。(Wǒ duì zhège wèntí hěn kùnhuò.) I am very puzzled by this question.
Common mistake: Learners often write 或 (huò) when they mean 惑, since the two sound the same. If the meaning is about confusion or doubt, remember to add 心 underneath.
Common words with 惑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
惑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 惑
How many strokes are in 惑?
惑 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 惑 mean?
惑 (huò) means to confuse, to mislead; to doubt. A common word with it is 困惑 (kùnhuò), meaning "bewildered; perplexed".
How do you pronounce 惑?
惑 is pronounced huò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 惑?
The radical of 惑 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 惑 under this radical.
Is 惑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 惑 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 困惑 and 迷惑?
困惑 (kùnhuò) describes your own state of being puzzled or perplexed. 迷惑 (míhuò) can also mean that, but it is often used actively, meaning to confuse or mislead someone, as in 迷惑敌人 (míhuò dírén), to mislead the enemy.
Does 诱惑 have a negative meaning?
诱惑 (yòuhuò) means temptation or to tempt, and it often suggests something you should resist. It can also be used neutrally for anything very attractive, like 美食的诱惑 (měishí de yòuhuò), the temptation of good food.