adjective / noun (literary) HSK 6
chaotic · murky · turbid · chaos
Meaning
沌 is a literary character meaning chaos, turbidity, or murkiness. It rarely appears alone in modern Chinese and is most commonly seen in the compound 混沌 (hùndùn), which describes primordial chaos or a confused, undifferentiated state. The character originally depicted muddy or unclear water.
Usage
In contemporary Chinese, 沌 is almost never used independently. Native speakers encounter it primarily in the word 混沌 (chaos, confusion) or in classical texts. It carries a literary, formal register and appears in philosophical or cosmological contexts.
Examples
- 01传说中，盘古开天辟地，打破了混沌。, , .According to legend, Pangu created the world and broke through the chaos.
- 02他的思绪陷入一片混沌之中。.His thoughts fell into a state of complete chaos.
Common collocations
- 混沌初开when chaos first separated (creation of the universe)
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines the water radical 氵(water) with 屯 (which suggests gathering or accumulating), originally depicting murky or turbid water that represents chaos and lack of clarity.