惑 means “be bewildered, mislead”

わく · waku

Also: beguile, delusion, perplexity

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まどう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ワク

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 12 strokes

The story

A heart (心) under 或, "a certain one", never sure which: torn between choices. 迷惑 is the trouble you cause others, 戸惑う is to be at a loss, and a 惑星, a planet, is a "wandering star" that drifts among the fixed ones.

Used in 迷惑 (meiwaku, trouble/nuisance), 惑星 (wakusei, planet), and 戸惑う (tomadou, to be at a loss)

More from Hidden & Hazy

• 密 secret
• 秘 secret
• 紛 mix in
• 隠 hide
• 潜 dive
• 覆 cover
• 披 open
• 虚 empty
• 顕 manifest
• 伏 lie face down
• 漠 vague
• 錯 mixed up

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.