迷惑
míhuò · HSK 7
confuse
🧩 迷 = lost + 惑 = doubt; being lost and full of doubt is what it means to be baffled
Both characters already mean confused: 迷 is to lose your way, 惑 is to be in doubt. Stack them and you get 迷惑, the doubled-up sense of being puzzled or thrown off. The míhuò sounds fall on a rising then falling tone, like a question that trails off unresolved.
迷 — 辶 (walk) + 米 (rice/mǐ, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 component (walking/road) gives the meaning of going astray on a path, while 米 (mǐ) supplies the sound. Originally referring to losing one's way while traveling, it later extended to mean confused, lost, or fascinated/captivated by something.