沌 meaning and stroke order
Chaotic, confused; murky, turbid
How to write 沌, stroke by stroke
7 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 沌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 混沌[hun4 dun4]
How 沌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 屯 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沌
沌 combines the water radical 氵 with 屯 (tún), which gives the sound. Picture water piling up and swirling until it turns murky, and you have the idea of chaos and confusion.
沌 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 混沌 (hùndùn), which means the primal chaos before the world took shape, or a confused, muddled situation. Example: 他的脑子一片混沌。(Tā de nǎozi yí piàn hùndùn.) His mind was in a complete fog.
Common mistake: Learners often read 沌 as tún because of the phonetic part 屯, but here it is dùn with a fourth tone. Also do not mix it up with 钝 (dùn, blunt), which has the metal radical 钅 instead of water.
Common words with 沌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 混沌 | hùndùn | primal chaos (original state of the universe in Chinese mythology); (of a situation) confu |
沌 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 沌
How many strokes are in 沌?
沌 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 沌 mean?
沌 (dùn) means chaotic, confused; murky, turbid. A common word with it is 混沌 (hùndùn), meaning "primal chaos (original state of the universe in Chinese mythology); (of a situation) confu".
How do you pronounce 沌?
沌 is pronounced dùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 沌?
The radical of 沌 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沌 under this radical.
Is 混沌 the same as the dumpling called hundun?
The wonton is usually written 馄饨 (húntun), with the food radical 饣. The sound is similar, but 混沌 with water radicals means chaos, not food.
Can 混沌 describe a person's state of mind?
Yes. Besides the mythological chaos of the universe, 混沌 can describe a foggy, unclear mind or a confused situation, for example right after waking up.